Entangled Strands
by Thine Dreamer Doth Take Flight
Summary: I was invited to do a contest on DA, and I thought I might as well put it on here. Carrie and Karley, another person's OC, meet at last. What will that mean for their friends and the rest of the world? Bad summary! XD
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: This is a story I created for a contest on Deviant Art, involving my favorite OC Carrie and NekoHanyouSakura's OC Karley. I decided also to put it on Fan-Fiction because I believe it will be fine enough for that. Well, here we go. Please read on._

* * *

**Entangled Strands**

Chapter 1

It started off like any other day. The sun came over the horizon to be covered with clouds, peeking out every now and then to let the earth know it was still there. A gentle breeze rolled through the city, caressing the leaves on trees and touching the other creatures of the earth. Nature was in full bloom, and why shouldn't it be in the middle of spring? On a day like this, it seemed that nothing could change or be anything but peaceful.

But as always, looks can be deceiving.

On this fine day, students were stuck in their desks in Domino High School, casting longing looks over their shoulders at the window where a different world was awaiting them. Among those students was a certain blonde-haired green-eyed girl with a strange pendant around her neck. She could hardly pay attention to what the teacher was saying or what notes she was supposed to be taking. It was so hard to focus when she could be doing anything else out there. But the day would slip away from her as usual because after school she would have to go to work for someone she couldn't stand, and she would be at work until well after dark.

_Ugh...Why can't senior year be more like junior year when everyone let me be lazy because of bad circumstances? I just want one day to myself, _she thought with a sigh. _Life's not fair. I never catch any breaks unless something really bad happens to me. Why can't I live the life of a normal teenage girl?_

_**But Carrie, you are living the life of a normal teenage girl. At least, for the moment.**_

The girl glanced out of the corner of her eyes at the transparent spirit that had just spoken to her in her mind. He had tri-colored spiky hair and mesmerizing crimson eyes, and at this moment he was leaning up against the wall with a smile on his face. She almost groaned. She was already distracted enough. Now with him striking a pose that made him look so…No. She wouldn't let herself think about him and quickly tore her gaze away.

_A normal teenage girl wouldn't have a ghost boyfriend._

_**Well, besides that point, you're normal.**_

_No I'm not._

_**Sure you are. Plenty of girls your age go to school and then work afterwards.**_

_Not really. Most girls my age have parents that love and support them until they go to college, and even then they still love and support them. That's not true for me. I have to work for Kaiba to support my little sister and Serenity and Mai and Mako. At least the last two of them work, too, or else we'd be in trouble._

_**Your path may have begun rocky, but I believe you are luckier than you think.**_

_I don't feel very lucky right now._

The door opened just then, and everyone stopped staring out the window or taking their notes to look at the person that entered. It was a blonde-haired blue-eyed girl with a stud in her nose and also clad in the school's uniform. Carrie tried to recall if she had ever seen this girl before but couldn't put a name to a face. The adult that had escorted her here exchanged a few whispered words with the teacher before she left. The new girl glanced around nervously, and for a second Carrie swore she looked back at Yami. But no one could see him unless they had the Millennium Puzzle around their neck, so she quickly cast that thought aside.

"Students, this is Karley Raine," the teacher introduced, gesturing at the girl.

A light went off in Carrie's head. _That's right. She's another assistant to Kaiba...Well, she's more like the assistant to the assistant to the assistant of Alyssa who is the main assistant to Kaiba, but still. _They had spoken a few times, but not enough to really know each other that well. _Why wasn't she in school before? And why now of all times is she coming into this place?_

"I want you all to treat her with respect and help her if she needs it," the teacher continued. "Karley, why don't you take that empty desk beside Joey Wheeler for now? It's the best I can do, and I'll find a better seat for you before we do any real work."

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" Joey demanded.

"It means you cheat on all the work you do and that's the only reason you've got good grades," Tristan replied teasingly.

"That's so not true! I don't cheat on all my work!" Joey exclaimed.

"No. Just most of it," Tea agreed.

"Now, now. That's enough out of you," the teacher admonished before any further words could be exchanged. "Karley, please take your seat. We're taking notes over the content of atoms. You can get the rest of the notes off of another student later."

Karley silently walked to her seat directly in front of Carrie and beside Joey. Carrie stopped herself from asking the girl questions; that would be rude and they were in the middle of class. She didn't want them to get yelled at or anything. Those questions seeking answers would have to wait until later, like work or something.

"Hey," Karley said with a small smile, glancing cautiously over her shoulder at Carrie. "You're…Carrie West, right?"

Who wouldn't know the Queen of Games' name? "Yeah."

"I thought I recognized you from work. I won't be there for awhile…I got bonked on the head yesterday by some goons that had a bone to pick with Kaiba. He doesn't want me to return until he agrees that I'm fit to work again. Just thought I'd warn you before he loads my work on you since he seems to hate you more than me," Karley whispered.

Carrie raised an eyebrow. "You were in a fight yesterday?"

Karley nodded. "Yeah. I was traveling with Kaiba's group of assistants and these morons with weapons had the nerve to attack us. I was the only one that was hurt…but it's not because I can't fight or anything. It's just that Kaiba's bodyguards weren't quick enough to save me. I was in the hospital until midnight last night. I think I'm fine, but that jerk won't permit me back to the workforce for probably another week."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Carrie murmured.

"Hey, you two better hush up. The teach-man is looking your way," Joey warned.

"Sorry, sensei. I was just asking Karley if she wanted to use my notes since I'm on my second sheet of paper," Carrie lied, handing Karley what she had managed to copy down despite her mood of wanting to be outside. The teacher didn't look convinced, but who was he to argue with the niece of Maximillion Pegasus? He went back to writing on the whiteboard, putting down the notes needed for their final exams.

"Thanks for getting us out of that one," Karley remarked in a barely audible voice, this time without looking over her shoulder at Carrie. "I just have one more question."

"Make it quick," Carrie told her.

"Why is there a boy in the back of the room leaning against the wall not doing anything? That just doesn't seem fair, especially since his shorter twin is sitting beside you and doing all of his work."

And Carrie's heart dropped into her stomach. Yami quickly retreated into the Puzzle.

"There's no one in the back of the room," Carrie replied.

"Yes there is," Karley claimed, turning in her seat. "Or at least, there was."

"Maybe being the new student has left you nervous and you're seeing double."

"Yeah…Maybe."

* * *

"Wait…She can see Yami?" Tristan asked when it was lunchtime and the gang met up on the roof of the school. Carrie had relayed the story of her encounter with Karley, leaving out no details even though it really wasn't that long of a story.

Carrie nodded. "I don't know how it's possible, but she saw him just as clearly as I can with the Millennium Puzzle on. It's been bugging me ever since she came into class. A lot of things about her are bugging me. I know next to nothing about her even though I work in the same building as her…"

"But Kaiba Corp. has over sixty stories full of workers," Tea pointed out.

"That's beside the point," Carrie remarked, waving off her comment. "I don't know that much about her other than her name and her position in our workplace…A position slightly higher than my own. And I know she doesn't know squat about Duel Monsters despite working for Seto Kaiba. She said she recognized me from work, but said nothing about seeing my face on TV or in the news. Not only that, but from the few times that I've talked to her she's mentioned that she holds very little interest for children's card games and holographic monsters."

"Say what? How can you live in this day and age and not like Duel Monsters?" Joey exclaimed in disbelief.

"The more important question is how someone can not like Duel Monsters and still work for Kaiba," Yugi commented.

Carrie shrugged. "He doesn't know all of his employees as well as he knows me and Alyssa. There are people who don't care for Duel Monsters in this world, more than there are ones that do. I'm sure some of those people are in Kaiba's workforce. Karley just happens to be one of them."

"And she can see Yami whenever he chooses to come out of the Puzzle," Tristan said.

"That too," Carrie agreed.

"So what are you gonna do about it?" Joey demanded.

"What can she do? It's not like she can tell Karley there's a dead guy from ancient Egypt in her pendant that she's dating. That would just make her look crazy. And besides, we don't know anything about Karley. She could be working for someone, or be an old evil brought back from the dead come to take out Yami. That could explain why she can see him," Tea stated.

"But wouldn't Carrie know if it was an ancient evil? She has Iris's memories as well as those from all her other lives and would recognize her even if her appearance has altered with the modern times," Yugi said.

"That's true…," Tea mused.

"Look, I think I'll just keep my distance from her and hope for the best. I can't invade into her life and I can't reveal my secrets to her in hopes that she might be a friend. It's best to just leave well enough alone," Carrie told them.

"Hello, guys."

_Damn! _Carrie thought as she and the others turned around.

Karley had followed them up onto the roof, a brown paper bag held in her hands. She smiled the same awkward smile she had worn when she first came into their class and stood in front of all those students. Her eyes refused to meet those of anyone else—instead they focused on something in the distance that only she could see. Carrie remembered when she had been the new girl and how nervous she had been. True, that was only two years ago, but it felt so far away with all that had happened to her between then and now. She wanted to avoid Karley in case she turned out to be bad news, but it seemed wrong to turn away someone that she could somewhat relate to.

"Hey," she greeted reluctantly. "What are you doing up here?"

"Well, I saw you guys come up here…And since I don't know anyone else, I thought I could join you," Karley replied.

"Sure you can join us," Carrie told her before the other members of the gang could pipe up. She knew she said she wanted to distance herself from Karley, but that wouldn't be possible if avoiding her meant leaving her alone and miserable. She knocked Joey over to make room for Karley in their group's little circle.

"Thanks," Karley murmured as she took her seat beside the two blondes. "So, this is your entourage."

Carrie gave her a small smile. "Yeah. This is Yugi, Tristan, and Tea. And of course, you already know Joey…Unfortunately."

Joey took offense to that. "Hey! That ain't right, Carrie! You know I was the first person who talked to you when you first came here and I was your first friend! How dare you talk about me like that!"

"Joey, she was just teasing," Tristan muttered.

"It's nice to meet you all," Karley said though she felt like she was being studied.

She pulled out her lunch, and Carrie couldn't help but be surprised at how small it was. Just a bag of chips and a flimsy bologna sandwich. That wouldn't even fill a seven-year-old, let alone an eighteen-year-old girl. Carrie always thought that someone with a job over her head would be paid a lot more than her. If that was so, then why was Karley struggling to get even a decent lunch?

Karley noticed her stare and looked down at her hands, a tint of pink brought to her face out of embarrassment. Carrie felt ashamed for making her feel that way, but she also wanted to help Karley out so she wouldn't be so hungry. Her lunch was a whole pizza; normally she would eat half and let Tristan and Joey fight over the other four slices. It would be different this time. Those boys would just have to understand. She opened the lid to the box that held the still warm pizza she had ordered during fifth period and pulled out a slice. She handed it over to Karley.

"Here. So you won't be hungry," she offered. "You can have more when you're done with this. I've got plenty.

Tristan and Joey were crestfallen to see their second lunch gone, but like Carrie thought they would they understood why she was doing it. Karley took the pizza slice from the girl and looked at it for a moment.

"…Why are you pitying me?" she demanded in a barely audible tone.

Carrie raised an eyebrow in surprise. "I'm not pitying you. I'm trying to help you out. That's what friends do."

"Help is just another word for pity," Karley claimed in a low voice. "I don't want anyone's help or pity. I'm doing just fine on my own."

"You could have fooled me. If you were really doing just fine on your own, you wouldn't have such a small lunch and you would have been in school a long time before now," Carrie remarked, not trying to be blunt but Karley's sudden behavior had riled her. "Why can't you just accept a kind gesture for what it is and move on?"

"Because no kind gesture is free," Karley replied abruptly, standing again. She tossed the pizza back into the box and slid her flimsy lunch back into the paper bag. "Look, I may have a job above your head, but that doesn't mean anything. Kaiba hates you, and yet he favors your paycheck because you're the niece of Maximillion Pegasus and cousin to Alyssa Pegasus and you've saved his ass countless times. He does not show such favoritism to me because I'm just a simple girl he found on the streets that could do work. There, are you happy now?"

Then Karley stomped off towards the stairs that would lead her back into the school building, slamming the door behind her.

"Well, that worked out nicely," Tea grumbled sarcastically. "You won't have to worry about her coming near you now, at least."

"That's true," Carrie murmured morosely. _But now she's peaked my interest even more. What did she mean by no kind gesture is free? And did Kaiba really find her on the streets and take her in to work at the corporation? Is that why I haven't seen her in school, because she's always been working with Kaiba? Does he really show favoritism to me that much for all that I've done? There's so much I don't know...but I plan on finding out._

_**Carrie, are you sure about this? **_As usual, Yami was concerned.

_If I wasn't sure, you'd know it._

"Here, guys. I'm not much for eating right now," she said, handing the pizza box over to Tristan and Joey. "Knock each other out."

"Where are you going?" Yugi asked as Carrie headed for the stairs.

"Home," was her vague reply before the door closed behind her.

* * *

_A/N: I personally think this was a pathetic first chapter, but this is not my story to judge. What did the rest of the world think?_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Carrie came into work two hours early, but didn't expect for anyone to notice. All the other employees were busy with their own assignments that Kaiba had given them. They wouldn't realize there was one more among them. But their boss might…And she intended to speak with him. Not only was it her job to do so, but she also wanted to get information on Karley. Some might consider that snooping; she called it being careful. She had trusted far too many bad guys in her life to take anymore chances even if Karley did work with her and was in her classes. Yami didn't disagree. This was a necessary precaution and he wasn't about to try to talk her out of it.

"Hey, Aly," she said as she walked past her cousin's desk. "Is Kaiba in?"

"Yeah," the brunette replied, fingers flying on the keyboard as she fulfilled one of the busiest jobs in the building since she was one of the top secretaries. "He's got twenty minutes until he's in a meeting with some business people. Said he didn't want to be bothered, no matter what."

"He doesn't have any women in there, does he?" Carrie asked with a sweat drop.

Alyssa shook her head. "He hasn't had a woman go into his office for an extended period of time in weeks. I think he gave up on being a man-whore at last. Probably wishful thinking, though. He does take breaks when his ding-a-ling can't handle so many erections in a short period of time."

"All righty then. Thanks for sharing, Alyssa," Carrie muttered. "I'm going to bug him now. See you later."

"It's your funeral," Alyssa remarked before picking up a ringing phone.

_Ain't that the truth, _Carrie thought as she walked towards the double doors that led to the office of Seto Kaiba. Anyone who was anyone in that building knew that when Kaiba said he wanted to be left alone, he meant it. Going in there was like asking to be killed, especially if he was intoxicated or with one of his dumb conquests. But she didn't have a choice. She needed peace of mind and knowledge, and only this jerk could give her that with what he knew. So, taking a deep breath, she silently pushed the doors open and walked inside.

Kaiba was sitting at his desk that had piles of folders and paperwork dealing with his corporation. She saw a half-empty wine bottle on his desk, but that was it. Carrie had to admit, he had cut down on the drinking lately. If he was just drinking wine to calm himself before his business meeting, she could understand that. He looked sober, which was both good and bad for her. Good because he wouldn't hit on her or try to get in her pants. Bad because he hated her with a burning passion for being the Queen of Games and better at dueling than he was. He might have cooperated better if he was drunk.

"What are you doing here, Carrie?" he demanded as he slid the wine bottle out of sight. "Shouldn't you be in school?"

"Yeah, but I decided to leave the place for today and come to work early to get it out of the way," Carrie replied calmly.

"Then go do your job and leave me alone or else," Kaiba muttered.

"Or else what? You'll fire me?" Carrie shot back.

"I can do worse than fire you," Kaiba growled threateningly.

Carrie yawned tauntingly. "Yeah, right. What can you do that no one else has done? Beat me up? That's happened about a million times. Try to kill me? Attempted a thousand times, failed every time. Rape me? Succeeded once, and you know how that turned out for the man who did it. Hurt my friends? Has happened too many times to count and justice has been served each time. You don't scare me, Rich Boy. You never have and you never will."

Kaiba's eyes narrowed. "What do you want?"

"I want to know about Karley Raine," Carrie stated.

Recognition passed over the young businessman's face, but his unemotional mask quickly fell back into place. "There's nothing to know about her. She's just a girl in my workforce. Mind your own business."

Carrie slammed her hands on the desk and stared him right in the eye. "The hell I will! I hardly know the girl, but I know she hasn't been in school until today and her paycheck is significantly smaller than my own despite her position! I also know that she was attacked by people that have a beef with you just yesterday! She said a lot of things to me that got me thinking, and you're the man with the answers, so you'd better spill them before I give you something to fear!"

Kaiba seemed unfazed by her threat. "Why do you care so much about her?"

"I don't care about her, not really. But you know that I have reason not to trust strangers and new faces with everything I've been through," Carrie told him bitterly. "For all I know, this girl you found on the streets could be a part of some elaborate scheme you set up to dethrone me or hurt me somehow. Or she could be someone else's minion. I just have to know before she has a chance to do something dangerous."

The brunette closed his eyes. He pressed a button on his machine. "Alyssa, cancel my appointments. I have some unpleasant work to deal with now. Reschedule them for the next available day." His eyes opened and he looked at Carrie without any emotion. "You want your answers? Fine. I'll give them to you. But you must never tell anyone that I take people off the streets…And you can't blame me if these answers don't satisfy you."

Carrie cocked an eyebrow. "You've taken more people off the streets? I thought it was just Karley…"

Kaiba's face reddened and he got defensive. "Just shut up already! You don't have to know everything that goes on in Kaiba Corp.! That's my job as the CEO!" He took a deep breath, knowing that yelling at Carrie wouldn't get him anything but a hard way to go. "Look, there are some things that go on…that others might not look upon happily. But if I didn't take these people under my wing, then where would they be? Karley is one such person, and though I don't know much about all of those I employ…I know even less about her."

"…Really?" Carrie mused, watching as the brunette stood from his chair and walked over to the really big glass window.

"…Have you had lunch yet?" Kaiba asked suddenly without looking at her.

"No. Why?"

"Because it's time we had a meaningful conversation that didn't involve our hatred of each other, and though I don't think lunch will cover it, it's at least a start."

* * *

Karley tore out of the school faster than all the other students, trying to separate herself from the gazes new students received and the downtrodden feeling she'd been experiencing ever since her encounter with Carrie. She knew she should have apologized for snapping at the popular girl; after all, she had seemed genuinely concerned about Karley's well-being. But Karley never asked for help or accepted charity unless it was forced on her by Kaiba—she wasn't about to start now. She ran for her motorcycle, barely sparing enough time to put on her helmet, and revved away down the road.

_Who does she think she is, queen of the world? She shouldn't have been so darn nosy, _Karley thought bitterly as the wind whipped through her loose hair. _It's times like this that remind me why I never make friends. 'Course, it would help if I could remember past a few months ago...But oh well. Beggars can't be choosers._

She ran through the rest of the day while her bike took her home. Everyone in Domino High was really nice with the exceptions of the usual bullies, but they were slim pickings in this place. Most of her classes had Carrie in them, though, and she was a bit distraught about that. That was, until after lunch when she found that Carrie's desk was always empty. She wanted to ask Joey and the others what had happened, but they had been there during their encounter and she felt awkward around them. What did they think of her now? What did Carrie think of her now? And why had she left?

_I hope I wasn't too blunt, _she thought. _My life in school may depend on her and the other so-called friends I've made. I don't even see why Kaiba just decided to send me to school...It's not like it mattered or he would have put me there sooner. What's his angle? And why the hell don't people ever tell me anything?_

"Hey! Look out!" someone shouted.

Karley quickly applied the brakes to avoid running right into a passing semi. She had been too distracted by her inner musings to pay attention. Another motorcycle pulled next to hers, and the woman removed her helmet. She had long white hair and gray skin, but otherwise she looked just like everyone else. Karley wondered what had happened to her to make her look so…strange.

"You almost lost something there," the woman remarked. "You gotta be paying attention when you're on one of these. You can get hurt a lot easier than if you are in a car."

"Yeah…I guess I was just distracted. Thank you for the warning," Karley said.

"I'm Nefer-Tina, by the way," the woman told her, extending her hand in greeting.

"Karley," she murmured, taking the extended hand. It felt cold and rough, along with the texture of some bandages she had failed to notice earlier.

"Where you heading, Karley? If you're distracted like that on the roads, I think it'd be best if someone escorted you home. I wouldn't want someone I've met to appear in the box as a casualty. The boys will understand if I'm a little late," Nefer-Tina offered.

"Boys?" Karley quirked an eyebrow.

"Yeah. My friends Rath, Armon, and Ja-Kal. You should meet them sometime. Rath and Ja-Kal can be major downers, but Armon's great as long as you have food around," Nefer-Tina continued. She slid her helmet back on and revved her bike. "Well, anyway, what do you say we get you home before the people behind us start yelling unpleasant words at us for holding them up?"

There was no getting out of it without arousing someone's anger, so Karley started forward again, a bit more careful than she had been before. Nefer-Tina kept pace beside her, but to the blonde it looked like the white-haired woman was holding back for her sake. Then the woman popped a wheelie and Karley's thoughts were confirmed. This fun-loving woman was holding back just to make sure little old Karley got home safely. Karley couldn't remember the last time someone went out of their way to help her with nothing in return because, well, she couldn't remember all that well.

Karley pulled into the parking lot of the hotel she was staying at on the company's credit card and Nefer-Tina followed her lead. Her spot was empty as she had hoped it would be. She glanced at the white-haired woman as they both dismounted from their bikes and was sort of surprised to see her blue eyes widen with surprise when she looked at the building. Hadn't this woman ever seen a hotel before?

"…You own all this? And these vehicles?" Nefer-Tina asked. "I thought the only people in Domino City that owned so much were Seto Kaiba and Maximillion Pegasus. But your fortune makes theirs look manageable."

"Are you kidding me? I don't own any of this. I live in one of the rooms of this building. This place is a hotel. People rent out rooms here when they're away from home for a long period of time for one reason or another. These cars belong to those people. They change from day to day. People come and people go," Karley explained.

"But you stay," Nefer-Tina pointed out.

Karley shrugged. "Yeah, well…I'm a special case."

"Oh," Nefer-Tina murmured. "May I come into your room for a moment? I need to use the restroom before I go meet my friends. I'm afraid it just can't wait that long."

"Sure. It's the least I can do since you saved my life," Karley replied.

She led Nefer-Tina up to her room, exchanging pleasantries with the staff as she passed. Karley had come to know the names and faces of the people who worked here, as well as some of their personal lives. These people were the closest things to friends and family that she had, and she wouldn't trade them for the world. She pulled out her hotel key as she walked down her hall, but lucky for her Esmeralda the maid was just leaving the room. The Hispanic woman held the door for her; they exchanged some kind words while Nefer-Tina slid inside to use the restroom. Esmeralda's sister had been sick lately and Karley just wanted to know how she had been doing. She was getting better, but the stubborn woman didn't want to go to the doctor. Esmeralda left Karley, shaking her head in disappointment of her sister's thick-headed behavior.

Nefer-Tina emerged from the restroom just as Karley closed the door to the hotel room. She smiled warmly.

"You seem to have quite a relationship with the people here," she commented.

"Yeah, well, I have been stuck with them for a few months now. So much time spent with them must be responsible for our closeness. I mean, if you were stuck with someone for a long period of time, wouldn't you become closer to them?" Karley remarked.

Nefer-Tina shrugged. "Depends on who the person is and how close my body is to theirs while we're stuck together and if I'm awake for most of the time. I was stuck with Rath, Ja-Kal, and Armon for a very long time…But we're no closer now because of that."

"Or maybe you are and you just haven't realized it," Karley said.

"True," Nefer-Tina agreed. "Well, I'm off. If I stay away much longer, those three will send out the search parties for me. It was nice meeting you and saving your life. I suppose I'll see you around."

"Bye," Karley murmured as the white-haired woman left the room.

_Alone at last, _the blonde thought, kicking off her school shoes and tearing the pink blouse from her top. Now all that covered her top half besides her bra was a black undershirt she had the sense to wear under that stupid blouse. She turned on her laptop before heading into her room to change out of the way-too-short blue skirt that was the last part of her uniform into a pair of dark-hued shorts. Her uniform was folded onto her dresser in preparation for tomorrow. Another school day…

Upon her return into the living quarters of her hotel room, she promptly logged into her name and e-mail. She might not be at work, but she still had to keep up-to-date on this stuff lest she risk angering Kaiba when she returned. As usual there was a lot of mail, useless and otherwise, that dealt with her job and the occurrences of Kaiba Corp. They could wait until later to be fully reviewed. There was one that immediately caught her attention.

'_To Miss Karley Raine:'_

'_Seto Kaiba does not want you using the company credit to pay for your hotel anymore. After this week is up, you must return the card to the CEO and find other means of shelter. Sorry to have to be the bringer of bad news.'_

'_Sincerely,'_

'_Alyssa Pegasus'_

"What the hell?" Karley exclaimed, knocking the chair down in which she had been sitting. "I get injured because of him and this is how he repays me for my kindness? Oh, this is just great! Just great! Now where am I going to live? That jerk!"

She collapsed onto her couch face first and screamed into a pillow. Life just wasn't fair.

* * *

Carrie poked at her fancy lunch with the fork, not looking at Kaiba who was sitting just across the table from her. There would be headlines in the tabloids about this, she knew. She could see them now, accusations of a possible relationship forming between once-hated rivals along with some sort of mentioning of Alyssa. But she didn't care what the public thought about her; that was the last thing on her mind at the moment. She had come to Kaiba seeking answers to who Karley was, and though she hadn't expected him to give them so willingly, he was doing just that. Both she and Yami waited for what he would say, becoming more anxious with every passing silent moment.

"Where to begin?" Kaiba mused, folding his hands and resting his chin on them over his mostly empty plate.

"The beginning would be a nice place," Carrie muttered before taking a bite of her food.

Either he hadn't heard her or he chose not to respond to her comment. "Karley Raine is a strange little girl. Unlike any other person you'd find on the street, she was not under any influence or parading around to try and earn a dollar. She was just sitting on the steps of the Kaiba Corp. building one night, trying to find some shelter from the rain. At first glance, she looked to have been a normal person that had been caught in the weather. But one more glance and anyone could tell she was homeless. I was alone in the building that night, and I let her in to stay dry and eat something. A kind act, if you will…But only so homeless people wouldn't see her and think it was okay to hang out on the steps of my company building.

"I was going to call the homeless shelter to come pick her up. But while I was in my office contemplating what to do with her, she had managed to get on one of my employees' computers. And what she did there was a whole lot more impressive than anything you've ever done. I came out of my office to check on her and she was halfway done with a program that could improve the efficiency of my dueling technology. I didn't know how a girl like that ended up on the streets, but I wasn't about to let her go. So I gave her a job, some money to afford new clothes and a place to stay, and a life to live that wasn't so pointless.

"But there was something wrong with her, for lack of a better word. As you know, I make profiles and keep documents on every employee in the company. I even profile people that come in for interviews to determine if I'll hire them or get a restraining order against them. I tried to get information about Karley out of her, but it just wasn't possible. She has no memory past a few months ago besides her name and age nor does she know what happened to her to make her forget. She can't even remember if she was in a hospital or suffered some sort of injury. She had to learn her abilities right along with the rest of us.

"So I put her through some tests, medical and otherwise, to determine what she could do and what might have caused her memory lapse. I discovered she could fight just as well as she could work, and she had a sharper mind than my own. But nothing of the medical tests could prove the cause of her heightened smarts or her memory loss. Something just seems to be blocking her memories. And that something refuses to go away no matter what she goes through. Medications, mental exercises…Nothing works. I've done all I can to keep her from having some sort of brain surgery, but she wants answers and might be willing to risk everything to find them."

"If she's so valuable to your company, then why do you pay her so little?" Carrie demanded as Kaiba paused to take a sip from his beverage glass.

"Because it's payment for all my kindness," Kaiba replied quietly, looking at the table rather than the blonde's face. "I don't give charity. You, of all people, should know that. I bought your house when you first came to Domino City looking for a job, but I made you pay back every penny. You weren't living the ritzy life those first few months, either. You couldn't even afford to bring your sister over from your old home until I was paid off. A Kaiba never gives charity. Now if only Mokuba would learn that."

"So that's what she meant by no kind gesture is free. The only person she can remember that's ever been kind to her…is making her pay for all that kindness," Carrie muttered. "Do you have any idea what you've done to her mentality? That girl doesn't trust anyone now. She thinks that if someone helps her that she has to pay them back somehow, no matter how small the gesture was. But look who I'm talking to…The King of Cold-Heartland. You don't care what you do to anyone."

"That's not entirely true," Kaiba remarked as he gestured for the bill. "I just only care about those to whom I have some sort of interest in. Be glad you're one of those people or you'd be paying this bill along with all sorts of other things." He pulled out the cash and handed it to the waiter without looking up. "And I do care somewhat for Karley. She is more valuable to my company than even Alyssa, though her position and paycheck don't show it. If anything happened to her, I'd be devastated."

"And yet she got hurt because of you," Carrie pointed out.

"That was unfortunate, a mistake on my guards' part. You can't blame me for that," Kaiba stated.

"I suppose you have a point there," Carrie grumbled.

The tall brunette stood from his seat, his silver jacket billowing behind him. The blonde followed his example, still dressed in her work attire and hating every second that Kaiba kept her busy so she couldn't go home to change. They left the fancy-smancy restaurant, Kaiba in the lead, and took a walk down the street. How weird it must have looked to those they passed. The CEO of a very powerful corporation taking a stroll with a famous blonde dressed in formal clothing that was his eternal rival. The tabloids were going to have a field day with this one.

He led her in the direction of the Kaiba Corp. building, and Carrie assumed they were just going to head back to work for the rest of the day. But then he changed his course, instead heading down an alley close to their workplace. This wasn't the kind of place a man like him willingly went to. It was filthy and there were homeless people all over the place. He stopped just before he could come within reach of any of them.

"This is where Karley could have been if it wasn't for me," he said, closing his eyes to Carrie's questioning glance. "This is where a lot of people you see in that building either were or could have been. It's true that I don't give charity, but the alternative to working for me is living without life. You call me the King of Cold-Heartland, but am I? Would such a man offer a second chance to those that have lost their places in society somehow? It's sights like this that make me take in those people."

_But only if they can help you somehow, _Carrie thought but did not say to him though she wanted to; it would only anger him and she didn't need his anger after what he had revealed to her so willingly.

He wrapped an arm around Carrie's shoulders and guided her away from the homeless alley. She didn't realize how much seeing those people had shaken her up until they were no longer in sight. Kaiba really knew how to get his points across, didn't he? She may hate the man, but she could grant him that. She was never so glad to be heading back to work with him.

"There's one more thing I should tell you before we end this meeting," Kaiba told her when his company came into view on the left. "When Karley was injured yesterday…It was because she was protecting me. Who knows what would have happened to me if she hadn't been there? I am in debt to her. That's why I let her go back to school."

"Go back?" Carrie asked.

Kaiba nodded once. "From what I managed to dig up on her, she already graduated from high school three years ago."

"Holy crap," Carrie murmured. "Why would she want to go back to school as a reward?"

"Companionship," was Kaiba's vague reply. "She wanted friends her age."

_Makes sense, _Carrie thought.

"Take the rest of the day off. And you'd better not tell anyone about any of this, not even your little geek squad," Kaiba growled, removing his arm from her shoulders and continuing on his way to the love of his life without looking back. "I'll deny it all and you'll never look the same in the eyes of the public."

_Like I would waste my breath on you, _Carrie thought bitterly, but a smile still graced her lips. _At least you're not as cold-hearted as I thought you were. You do good, Kaiba, whether you're willing to admit it or not. Maybe you're not the King of Cold-Heartland after all. Maybe you're just their lame court jester._


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

**Thief, I need you, **Mirage beckoned, extending her magic to reach the dwellings of the Millennium Ring. This required vast amounts of energy, considering the distance between them and her having to keep this hidden from Uria, the Egyptian Gods, Yami, and Carrie. She wouldn't be able to keep it up for more than a few minutes.

Thief reacted in an instant, though he did not try to mask his response from his hikari because Ryo was too weak to stop him from doing anything. _**What is it, immortal one?**_

**They have met. Iris and Hathor have finally come in contact with one another again.**

_**I see…But then again, I don't. Forgive me, Mirage. My memory may be keener than that of the Pharaoh's, but it is still vastly incomplete. I remember Iris, but could you refresh my memory about who Hathor is?**_

Mirage rolled her eyes. **There is much about her that you should know, but I do not have the time to explain it now. She was a White Mage that was a friend of the Pharaoh and his entourage back in the day, and her reappearance into society spells trouble for us. That's what's most important.**

_**Why?**_

**Because if Hathor and Iris had been in the same place during your attack on the Pharaoh, they could have defeated you! Those two together equals big trouble for the dark side!**

_**I see. What do you want me to do?**_

**Gather ten human sacrifices and five animal sacrifices. Sneak into the Egyptian exhibit and immobilize the Guardians. They will try to stop us when they figure out what we're up to. We cannot have that. When that is complete, wait for me to come.**

_**Won't it be a tad bit difficult for you to come with so many entities suppressing you?**_

**Yes, but I will manage. I promise.**

_**When do we meet, immortal one?**_

**Midnight of this day. You mustn't dawdle, Thief.**

Carrie was in the middle of changing into her nightclothes when Mirage started prying for control. She dropped her black tee to the floor and clutched her head, staggering instead of standing as usual. Yami, Uria, and the Egyptian Gods were fighting against Mirage's powers, but the dark spirit was being particularly persistent tonight. Mirage wanted to do something really badly, and in her case, it was probably something really bad that spelled disaster for the world. Luckily she wasn't strong enough to bypass so many strong spirits at once…

But then again, Mirage really only had to severely weaken one of them.

_What the hell are you doing? _Carrie demanded as her knees gave out and she fell to the floor, only wearing a pair of red shorts and her bra that she hadn't removed yet, as well as the Puzzle. _You know trying to take over now is pointless! You've got way too much opposition! So spare me the headache and back the hell off!_

**I'd rather just get rid of the opposition so I can take you down, **Mirage countered.

The blonde lost control of her left arm as Mirage managed to worm her way into its possession. It reached for her Millennium Puzzle, the Item that held her lover's spirit within its walls. She knew her hand was going to try to tear it away from her and tried to hold it back with her right hand. But Mirage wouldn't go down without a major fight. She used her magic to tire Carrie's soul so she couldn't fight anymore. The blonde swore and tried to shake it off, but it was hard to shake off magic of any sort. This was especially difficult to fight against since the one that controlled the magic was in her mind. She lost consciousness far easier than she would have liked.

Mirage tore the Puzzle from her neck and sent it flying under Carrie's bed. The Egyptian God Cards followed it there. She wished to be rid of Uria just as easily, but he was bound to this body in the same manner that she was and could not be done away with by just stowing his card somewhere else. She slammed Carrie's fatigued soul away in a dark cell in their mind. She would be no trouble for some time now.

**Now if it were only this simple to walk this world all the time, **Mirage thought bitterly, picking Carrie's nightshirt off the ground and sliding into it before standing up. **There would be a lot more deaths and a lot less pain in this world. But sadly, with so many Monsters and mortals suppressing me all the time, it cannot be so. I wish it could be. Then I wouldn't have to suffer so much and I could see my cute little lord of darkness more often. **She sighed dreamily as she pulled on Carrie's sneakers, thinking about her shadowy lover that was about the same age as she was. **Well, at least I get to see him tonight. That's a dark spot in all this brightness.**

_**What are you up to, Mirage? **_Yami demanded from his spot under the bed.

"None of your business," Mirage replied casually, summoning a Shadow Dragon outside of the window. "Now shut up and be a good little spirit. I have places to go, someone to see, and things to kill. Ciao, darling!"

She leapt out of the open window onto her Dragon, ignoring Yami's shouting of her name and the Egyptian Gods' roars of anger. They'd get over it in time. Uria remained silent, but she knew he was just as angry as everyone else. It was just that they'd been together longer and he expected stuff like this from her. Still, she wouldn't be surprised if he was flying through the realms of Carrie's mind trying to locate the girl's spirit so he could take control away from Mirage. He had tried to do so himself, but Mirage wouldn't have any of that. His only course of action was to restore the rightful owner.

The Shadow Dragon took off into the night towards the building that was the museum. Mirage looked up into the sky at the stars, each one somehow different from the other but that difference could not be viewed from this point. They reminded her of the number of lives she had taken in her days, for surely she had killed as many people as there were stars in the sky by now. They were beautiful little fireballs blazing away, slowly dying in resemblance to mankind. Osiris and Nephthys would gather and judge all their souls someday, and then what would they do? What could they do?

Flying made cool air whip around Mirage's exposed skin, but she barely acknowledged it. Cold air mattered little in comparison to what she was about to do, what she and Thief were about to bring back into this world. A priestess of the Temple of Nephthys, one of the greatest allies to the dark side, would come to life once more to aid the dark side. Only she could stop Carrie and Karley before it was too late. They needed her power.

The Dragon touched down at the doors of the museum. Mirage leapt from its back just before it disappeared and walked right through the glass doors of the building. There was no sign of anything living, but Mirage used her magic to probe and found twenty beating hearts in the wing where the Egyptian stuff lay behind glass cases. Four of those were locked within their sarcophagi, trying to free themselves in order to help the others. Five were in cages. Ten were racing in fear. One was normal as its holder paced back and forth, impatiently waiting for her to arrive. She smirked. He had done well in such a short time.

She came into the area silent as a shadow, but she knew he felt her presence when he stopped pacing. His brown eyes turned to her as she came to him, showing feelings the rest of him refused to reveal. Mirage glanced at the captives. The humans were all bound, gagged, and blindfolded. The animals locked in their cages had their mouths bound shut so they couldn't make noises. The mummy Guardians were putting all of their weight against the lids of their sarcophagi, but Thief had sealed them with a very strong magic. It would take more than brute strength to free them, and even then they would be stuck there for quite some time.

"Well done, Thief," Mirage said, looking back at him with her dark eyes approvingly.

Thief nodded once. "I did what you asked. Now tell me what this is all about. Who is Hathor and what's her connection to Iris? And what are all these sacrifices for?"

"All right. I suppose your work has earned you an explanation at the very least." Mirage sighed and lowered her gaze. "Hathor was a simple girl in Egypt that just happened to make a friend of royal blood. She came from a line of a powerful breed of magicians, the White Mages, which meant she had a lot of potential to be a weapon against the enemies of the kingdom. In that sense, she was destined to meet the Pharaoh at some point. She came into the Pharaoh's entourage a little later than Iris, but she also stayed there past Iris's isolation for a few years before going off to complete her White Mage training. Because of that, she and Iris were both potential women to be in his future harem as they both grew to have feelings for the Pharaoh and he grew to have feelings for them.

"Hathor and Iris were never at odds with each other. In their time, it was acceptable for women to share a man. And these two were friends with bonds in their magic that only their friend Mana could match. No man was going to split them or turn them against each other, not even the Pharaoh. They were a formidable team when they used their magic together, which is why they would have defeated you and Zork had they been together on that legendary night. But certain events kept Hathor from the scene for too long, and then you know what happened afterwards. Iris died, Hathor disappeared…blah, blah, blah.

"The certain events that kept Hathor from the fight were caused by a priestess," Mirage continued, approaching a glass case at the very back of this particular room. "Her name was Nephthys and she worshipped her namesake practically since birth. Some claimed she was always obsessed with death, and that she might even have been the goddess born into flesh and mortal blood. Of course that was never proven. But she was a very powerful woman that belonged to the Black Mages, an order of magicians that only practiced dark magic and rivaled the White Mages with their light magic."

Mirage's hand moved through the glass case and pulled out an old gold-and-jade choker with a gemstone set in the center. The gemstone was a ruby, but an orange flame settled in the middle of it with a darkly-colored ankh. Two small emerald sparks came from the orange flame, and a silver design could be seen in the right light. Mirage brought this artifact over to the circle of sacrifices to show Thief. "This was her symbol. The flames of eternal life. She wore this choker, and her followers wore amulets with the same symbol around their throats. She controlled so many people that way, and that became useful when you came onto the scene, as she decided to side with you against the royal house and those who served it.

"Mostly, she just wanted the deaths of her greatest threats. Priest Mahado, the Pharaoh's sister Bastet, Iris, and of course Hathor. The first one didn't die at your hands exactly, but he became his ka the Dark Magician through irreversible means. Bastet was too well-protected and too much of a match for Nephthys on her own at the time. Iris had her Guardians and she was always protecting the Pharaoh whom you were after. But Hathor…That was someone she could get alone. So she did on the night that should have ended in your victory. She stopped Hathor from getting to the Pharaoh and Iris by engaging her in a Shadow Game. Unfortunately, she was forced to pull out when she became distracted by the magic of the Millennium Puzzle, but her job was complete. Hathor had not stopped you in your quest, and there was always the future for you to come back.

"Nephthys was burned alive for her crimes by Pharaoh Seth and Queen Bastet, but she vowed to return. She believed her soul would burn forever in the eternal fire of life, so even if her body failed she would continue to exist. Only the Guardians and I remember her now as her name was stricken from history. But she was correct. Her spirit lives even now, wandering the earth trying to find a way to serve her goddess and help bring about the death of the world."

Mirage smiled as she sat the choker on the floor in the center of the circle of sacrifices. "Well, why don't we help her with that?"

The Guardians had heard everything and knew of who she spoke of. Apparently, they were not fond of the priestess that had tried to kill their mistress because now they tried even harder to get out of their sarcophagi, even going so far as to shout at Thief and Mirage. The dark spirits ignored them.

Mirage pulled a knife out of thin air and moved towards the first sacrifice. She slit the man's throat and let his blood splatter. The other human sacrifices followed him to his death. Four animals died after them, but Mirage did not kill the black cat that Thief had brought. She just let it out of its cage and held it in her arms, scratching it behind the ears affectionately while it purred.

"I thought you needed all five animal sacrifices," Thief remarked as the spilled blood worked its way towards Nephthys's choker which was now glowing with an eerie red light.

"I do, make no mistake about that. But she needs a body, too, or else all this bloodshed would have been for nothing. It cannot be human, because then she would always be in human form and could not sneak away when there is need. It must be a creature like this one that wouldn't be as noticeable," Mirage explained, dropping her bloodied knife and holding the black cat towards the eerie light. "You shall see soon enough, my dear."

She tossed the cat towards the source of the light. It became suspended in the air right above the choker where the light enveloped it completely. The cat began to take the form of a human female, pulsating with dark magic that reflected in the red light. The choker flew off of the ground when the silhouette was complete, wrapping around the neck of the figure without any blood remaining on it. The light faded away and the person was revealed with the only thing on her being that choker.

The woman had long dark blue hair and emotionless orchid eyes that looked at her surroundings as casually as one might look at their memories. Her skin was paler than any Egyptian's had a right to be, but that was how all members of the Black Mages had been—pale worshippers of dark magic. A strong aura emanated from where she stood, proving her to be as strong as Mirage had claimed she was. Thief tried not to look at her in her current situation, but it was very hard even with the threat of Mirage's jealousy hanging over his head. Luckily for him Mirage was too focused on the situation at hand to give him any thought.

"Nephthys," she greeted with a small smile.

The woman's eyes locked onto hers. "Do I know you?"

"You know a part of me. I have three fragmented souls mingled into what you see before you. The soul of the dark sorceress that had the marks of the Earthbound Immortals, the soul of the immortal one that feels the pain of all that live, and the soul of Iris. But unlike your rival, I am aligned with the shadows," Mirage replied. "You may call me what the mortals of this time call me…Mirage."

Nephthys's eyes went over to Thief, whom she recognized even now. "What is going on, Master? Why is this woman partially Iris but not completely? And what does she mean by this time? Are we not where we left off?"

Thief shook his head. "We have come into a time five thousand years from where we left off, Nephthys. The Puzzle is solved once again and the Pharaoh walks the world trying to save the world as he failed to do in our time. Many of his former servants have been reborn, just as I have. Even the Pharaoh himself was reborn. The side of light has many allies now, but they're nothing we can't handle."

"Or at least, they used to be," Mirage muttered.

"What do you mean by that?" Nephthys asked.

"I mean, Hathor has made her appearance now and is starting to grow close to Iris once more. If they team up, it could mean the end for me and Thief Bakura," Mirage told her.

Nephthys's eyes narrowed when she brought up Hathor. "She will die!"

Mirage smirked. "You see? That's why I brought you back in the flesh. Only you can help us end the reign of life on this planet. Only you can face off against Hathor and Iris reincarnate and deliver death upon them of which there is no escape. Only you can help your master defeat the Pharaoh now and forever. So Nephthys, I ask you…Will you aid the shadows in devouring the world?"

"There was no need to ask a question to which you know the answer," Nephthys stated, snapping her fingers to make clothes appear on her. She wore a black dress without sleeves with a skirt that reached down to her ankles with a midnight hooded cape. Her arms had golden armlets on them, as did her legs. Simple sandals were on her feet. She looked just as she had in life, but something in her eyes made her seem darker, and more deadly.

"Good. Now, I want you to stay with Thief. As I am trapped in the body of a strong mortal, I shall be of little help to you," Mirage admitted with regret. She winced as Uria attacked her subconscious in an attempt to gain control of the body.

"Why is that?" Nephthys wanted to know. "Who is it that you are trapped within?"

"Iris's soul is a part of me, but it has also been reborn on its own six times now. I am stuck with who is Iris's reincarnation. This time around, that would be a mortal named Carrie West. It wouldn't be so hard if it was just her, but the Egyptian Gods sent the Fiend God Uria to fight me. And she also solved the Puzzle and gained possession of the three Egyptian God Cards, so that makes it even harder for me," Mirage explained. "Luckily I was able to remove the Puzzle from this body and toss the Gods so they couldn't interfere. Uria is not as easy to get rid of, however."

"Allow me to help you, trapped one," Nephthys offered, placing her hand onto Mirage's brow and closing her eyes.

Mirage felt foreign magic flow into her, dark and potent magic that was to her what crack was to an addict. She felt so high like she could just float away. Nephthys grabbed hold of her spirit and yanked it right out of Carrie's body, molding it into flesh right before Thief's eyes. Carrie's body fell to the ground, and Mirage stood in her place. Dark hair, dark eyes, tanned skin, and her dark Egyptian dress…She was just as she preferred to be. She was stunned, though; she hadn't expected Nephthys to be so powerful. It was possible that the former priestess was even more powerful than she was. But Mirage wasn't going to be jealous. That was a mortal feeling.

"We'll begin our attack at dawn," Nephthys said, flicking her wrist so that all traces of the sacrifices were wiped away. "Master, take us to your home. We shall make our plans there."

Thief nodded and led the women out of the museum. Little did any of them know, but they had just unleashed a very lethal force upon the earth.

Good thing they didn't know, or else they would have been ecstatic.

* * *

Uria groaned as he took over Carrie's body. The girl's soul was still fatigued and trapped in the dark recesses of her mind—she wouldn't be able to take care of herself for quite some time. Her hair turned bright red and her eyes became fiery orange with his taking over; that was how it always happened. Even her skin changed colors, becoming slightly darker just like the scales of his underbelly would have done. But there was no time to think about how he was changing the mortal girl's body. Darkness was on the loose and Mirage was free from her prison again. He had to act fast if he was going to save innocent lives.

He got to his feet and made a break towards the sealed sarcophagi of the Guardians. They had fallen silent as soon as they sensed the presence of Nephthys, and for good reason. The former priestess had not been their biggest fan since they were always getting in her way to destroying the enemies of the shadows. If she had known they were there, she would not have hesitated to destroy them. Then what use would they have been to the light?

The Lord of Searing Flames broke the magic Thief had used to seal the sarcophagi and pulled the lids open to release the Guardians. They were all on their feet, looking ready to fight but also trying to contain their fear of what they had sensed in Nephthys. Uria did not know the mortal woman as well as they did; to him in that time, she had just been another dark-hearted human that would get what was coming to her. That was not the case now. Nephthys was just like Mirage and Thief Bakura—powerful and very, very hard to kill, if it was even possible to kill her at all.

"They left," Uria told the Guardians unnecessarily, his control giving Carrie a baritone voice just like Yami always did.

"This is not good at all," Rath grumbled, pacing in his anxiety. "I stand no chance against the magic of Nephthys. Mistress Carrie stands little better than me, and whoever this person that is Hathor reincarnate is probably stands the least bit of chance against her. Why in Ra's name would Mirage go and pull a stunt like this? It makes no sense."

"The Pharaoh can stand against them. With the aid of his allies, he might stand a chance in defeating them," Ja-Kal said, but he didn't sound or look sure of that.

"He's not as powerful as he was in our time, and those that stand with him have little strength to lend," Armon pointed out. "I'm the last one that wants to say this, but I think we're all screwed. We could combat Mirage and Thief when it was just the two of them, but now they've got that witch Nephthys on their side. Unlike the others, her power doesn't seem to have weakened with time. If anything, it seems to have become stronger. Fight her or not, the world's doomed to die."

"No, I don't believe that. If Carrie and Hathor reincarnate can tap into their former lives' power and work together, they could prove a force against even Nephthys's power. You heard them talking, didn't you? Mirage herself admitted that if it wasn't for the two magicians being separated that Zork would have been defeated. If we can help them before it's too late, then there might still be a chance," Nefer-Tina stated, the only optimist in the group of pessimists.

Uria's gaze traveled over to her. "How do you suggest we do that?"

"Well, first we have to track down Hathor's reincarnation and reveal to her all this stuff. Then after the shock and denying fades away, we put her and Carrie through exercises that will get them to reach deep down into their souls. Once that is successful, they'll have loads of power to contend with their enemies. It'll be a sure victory for our side," Nefer-Tina claimed.

"There's just one problem, Neffie. How are we supposed to find Hathor reincarnate when there are billions of women in the world?" Armon asked, the damper to her plan.

"It's not as hard as you think. The immortal one already gave away her identity in Carrie's mind," Uria said. "It's a girl named Karley Raine, new student in Domino High and currently employed at Kaiba Corporation."

"I met her today on the road! Saved her from wrecking into another vehicle, too!" Nefer-Tina recalled. "I escorted her home to make sure she didn't get hurt—one should never be distracted while on a motorcycle, you know. She lives in a pretty fancy building called a hotel. She let me in to use the restroom while I was there. I could lead you right to her."

"I'll need you to do that tonight. But first I must return to Carrie's home. I must regain possession of the Egyptian Gods and the Millennium Puzzle before the immortal one has a chance to do so. And I must ensure the safety of the mortals there," Uria stated. "Gather whatever weapons you can, including the silver ankh that can suppress Mirage's power. Nefer-Tina, get your motorcycle ready. Ja-Kal, Rath, and Armon, get your Volvo. I'll need you to swing by the house in ten minutes to pick up the mortals."

"How are you going to get there now?" Ja-Kal asked.

"Magic," Rath muttered.

At this, Uria laughed. "I may be controlling a human body, but I am a Dragon. I can fly there and take care of my business as quickly as need be. The question is…Can you be quick enough?"

"You can count on us, Uria, Lord of Searing Flames," Nefer-Tina told him, saluting.

Uria smiled. "I hope so."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Uria landed soundlessly on the floor of Carrie's room, his wings disappearing into his back again as they were no longer necessary. He knew he didn't have much time until one of the dark spirits would come here for Carrie's belongings. He had to act fast. The Millennium Items were stored in a duffel bag in the girl's closet—he knew better than to leave that for the taking. Carrie's deck found its place there as well. He dove under the bed to retrieve the Egyptian Gods and the Millennium Puzzle. These were perhaps more important than anything else. If Thief, Mirage, or Nephthys managed to get them…

"Uria, what's going on?" Yami demanded as the Dragon put the Puzzle around his throat.

He shook his head. "Too much to explain, my Pharaoh, and in too short of time. I must hurry to arouse the mortals of this place before one of the dark ones arrives. We are in much danger now. The immortal one has outdone herself this time. If we do not act fast, the whole world might die."

"…How…How is that possible?" Yami asked, shocked almost beyond words.

"Because she brought back a supreme evil that's even stronger than she is," Uria replied.

The Dragon ran into the hall and roared, though it was not as impressive in a human female voice as it would have been if he were in his real form. It was enough to rouse the sleeping mortals from their slumber. Jessica and Mai were grumpy, but he didn't have time to deal with their complaints. Their lives were in danger, and he had an obligation to protect them in Carrie's stead.

"Get dressed, get your decks, and get out now," he commanded—his tone let them know immediately that this was seriously no time to mess around.

"What's going on?" Mako wanted to know as he slid on a T-shirt and some shoes while the women disappeared behind their doors again.

"Nothing yet, but if we're not gone in three minutes a whole lot of things will be happening," Uria told him. "Meet me downstairs when the other mortals are ready. The Guardians shall be here soon. I want you to drive your horseless chariot with Rath for protection purposes. The female mortals you live with shall ride with Ja-Kal and Armon. Nefer-Tina will be present on her chariot and shall guard you as well. You shall all be safe with them."

"And what about you?" Mako was quick as always.

"Once the Guardians arrive, I will hand over the Millennium Items to them. Then I must go confront someone who needs to face her destiny if we are to survive to see the seventh journey of Ra," Uria stated.

Mako said nothing more, but he seemed to understand. Uria left him then to be on the lookout for the Guardians and the darkness. The clock in his mind counted down the seconds until he was certain there would be an attack. It would be wise to bring one of his brethren into action if the mortals were not gone by then, and he would not hesitate to do so. Once upon a time he might have hesitated to bring forth a pure-hearted God, but those were darker days when he served the shadows proudly as a Fiend God. Five failed lifetimes of holding Mirage back against Iris's reincarnations had changed him. Now he favored mankind and would hate more than anything to see it succumb to nothing where it would be engulfed in the shadows once again.

_I would give my life before I let this world fall, _he thought.

**As would I, **Carrie weakly said from the dark recesses of her mind where Mirage had imprisoned and fatigued her.

_Do not dare speak like that, Carrie. Your life is short and much more precious than mine. I am a Duel Monster—my life shall never truly end. If destroyed, I would just return to the Spirit World...or to the dark abyss I've known for so long while I await your next rebirth. It is no loss if I give my life; it would be devastating if you gave yours._

**If you give yours, I'll never forgive you.**

_I believe I could live with that._

Two minutes after their rude awakening, the mortals came downstairs dressed with their decks at hand. Uria instructed them quickly about how to defend themselves if the darkness came at them. Hold up a Monster Card and they would be summoned. It was for their own good, but he was also biding time for the Guardians to arrive. Time was ticking away…

"Go to your horseless chariot, Mako Tsunami," Uria ordered when thirty more seconds passed. "If they do not arrive in thirty seconds, you will all leave in it. Slifer will escort you away if it comes to that. And I shall keep the Items on me for safety."

"You know, I wish you people would stop taking over my sister's body. It's confusing and I don't like it. She's been through enough without you or that Yami person or Mirage getting under her skin. I wish you all would just leave her alone already," Jessica said.

Uria glared at her for the briefest of moments before turning his complete attention back to the outside world. Mako revved up the red convertible, pulled the top up, and waited for Uria to tell him their next move. The crimson Dragon continued his silent countdown. Twenty seconds…Fifteen seconds…Ten…Nine…Eight…Seven…Six…The presence of a dark soul could be felt by the former Fiend God. He opened the door in preparation for their escape.

Then a gold Volvo finally pulled up beside the red convertible. Ja-Kal, Rath, and Armon were donning their armor (what they wear in the show _Mummies Alive_) and weapons in preparation for an attack. Uria shouted for the mortals to run for the Volvo just as the dark soul entered Carrie's window upstairs. They never ran faster in their lives. They piled in, with Rath slipping out to join Mako, and Uria yelled for them to drive off as he tossed the duffel bag into the Volvo. He spun around to confront the dark soul while the mortals made their speedy getaway. The Egyptian Gods were still with him, and they were all the weapon he needed.

Mirage came out of the house slowly, in the flesh of her true form. Her features were a blend of all the souls that made her, but she most resembled the immortal girl that felt the pain of the world six thousand years ago. Her dark eyes locked onto him and a small smirk worked its way onto her lips. Uria did not appreciate the amusement she received by seeing him. Her smile couldn't mean anything good for anyone. The weather changed with her arrival. Where once it was just dark with night it became stormy. Lightning flashed in bolts violently, illuminating purple clouds, yet no rain was falling. Not yet, anyway. Mirage's power was astounding, but nothing a former Fiend God couldn't handle.

"I see you managed to beat me here," she purred, coming to a stop ten feet in front of him. "And you stole the Items and Gods away from me. Oh damn. Ah well…At least you put a bit of a challenge into this. It would have been far too easy if you had just left everything the way it was. Now we'll be able to have a little fun before Death conquers the world."

"You claimed you wouldn't begin attacking until dawn," Uria remarked.

Mirage wagged her finger at him. "Eavesdropping is rude, you know! Nephthys said that to throw off anyone that might have been spying on us. That way they wouldn't be onto us until it was too late. Too bad it didn't work on you and those accursed mummies. But then, what's the point of destroying the world if no one's gonna fight back, hmm?"

"Where did the other two go?" Uria demanded.

"Like I would ever tell you that. I don't have loose lips," Mirage stated.

Uria rolled his eyes. "The way you are affiliated with Thief and the Pharaoh suggests otherwise."

Mirage's eyes became white with rage and she stomped her foot angrily. "Hey! That's a totally different subject than what I was referring to and you know it! You stupid perverted Dragon! You sicken me!" She cleared her throat and tried to regain her composure. "Just for that sadistic comment, I think I'll send some of my Shadow friends to go attack those fleeing mortals. Perhaps then you'll learn to speak to me with some respect and control, hmm?"

"That won't earn you any respect," Uria claimed.

"And when Carrie's loved ones are dead, you'll lose all respect, too," Mirage countered.

"No I will not. I'd die before I let you kill," Uria growled.

"You cannot stop me."

She took to the sky in pursuit of the fleeing humans. Uria quickly sprouted his crimson wings and went after her, able to fly faster because he was a Dragon; even being stuck in a human body could not take that experience away. He had little trouble catching up to her, but stopping her was another story. She summoned Shadow Monsters to attack him. Some he easily evaded and burned to nothing with his fiery breath. Others would require a bit more attention. Seeing no other way, Uria summoned Slifer to the world.

The giant crimson God Monster appeared in the sky above them, his body stretching back for miles and his wingspan larger than even Uria's. His eyes focused on the Shadow Monsters, his claws became their undoing. Mirage sensed his presence and knew she could not contend with Slifer when he was out of card form. Killing those mortals would have to be put on hold for now. She went to disappear.

"Where do you think you are going?" Uria inquired, suddenly upon her. He grabbed her shoulders roughly from above and forced them into a treacherous nosedive, heading straight for the asphalt road. Mirage panicked, but when she tried to speak or move her hands Uria was there to restrain them somehow. She closed her eyes just seconds before their bodies collided with the ground.

The shockwaves were felt even as far as the Kaiba Corp. building's top floor.

Uria released her body and stood upright in the crater that the impact had created. He could withstand such impact even in human form just because he was a Fiend God—or rather, he used to be a Fiend God—and there were only minor bruises to be found on his person. Mirage was not so lucky. Despite all of her dark power, she was lying broken in their crater, coughing up asphalt dust with blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. She had taken the brunt of the fall, but Uria was not sorry for that. He grabbed her by the front of her dress and roughly pulled her from the ground.

"Where are the other two? And what are you planning?" he demanded.

Mirage looked at him with her one open eye, her lips curling into the slightest hint of a smirk. "I don't have loose lips, remember? Only when it comes to Thief and the Pharaoh and kissing 'em does that apply. I'll never tell you, and even if I did…You'd never be able to stop them. Nephthys has more power than I. If she wants Hathor dead, then dead she'll be. And Thief…Well, you know how he is."

A hawk-like shriek could be heard above them. Uria turned his attention to the sky and saw Harpie's Brother there, swooping down towards them. Mirage sighed—or at least attempted to sigh—at his arrival. This made it very clear that Harpie's Brother was no ally to the side of the light. He was a servant of the shadows.

"That would be my escort back to Thief," she murmured, grimacing as she forced her broken arm to rise. "See ya later, Urine."

Without warning, she clawed him in the face right across his left eye. He hissed in pain, clutching his new unanticipated wound, and accidentally let Mirage go. Harpie's Brother scooped her up before she could hit the ground and was gone again before either crimson Dragon had the chance of stopping them. Uria swore as his body began to heal. One little distraction had prevented him from putting an end to the immortal pain he'd been forced to board with for thousands of years. Once again, he had failed Carrie.

**DO NOT GIVE UP HOPE, URIA, **Slifer beckoned, looking down at his fellow God as the mortals drove up to him. **TIME REMAINS TO RECTIFY THE WRONGS. EVEN SOMEONE AS POWERFUL AS NEPHTHYS CAN BE DEFEATED. YOU KNOW WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. DO NOT LET THIS SETBACK TROUBLE YOU. REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE, AND WHO YOU ARE FIGHTING FOR.**

_All right, _Uria thought bitterly before turning his attention to the arriving humans.

"Are you all right, Uria?" Rath asked once the cars came to a stop beside him.

"I am fine. The immortal one and I just fought as I'm sure you saw. She managed to escape, but was very weak. I believe she will present little threat for some time," Uria replied. "You should not have returned to me. These mortals are dependent on us for their safety, and there are valuables upon you that must not be allowed to fall into the shadows' hands." He looked at the assembled group and his brow furrowed. "Where is Nefer-Tina?"

"She's not with us. She went ahead to find Karley in case one of the dark ones decided to go after her," Ja-Kal informed him.

"Then that is where I must go," Uria remarked. "Slifer, stay with them. Help them find a safe place out of reach of the dark ones. I shall find you once I have Hathor reincarnate in my possession. Protect these people…If all else fails, they might be out last hope."

"…What about Joey and the others? Shouldn't we try to reach them, too?" Serenity wanted to know, mostly concerned about her brother.

Uria shook his head. "With the immortal one on the side of Nephthys, there is very little chance that she does not know of their identities. The time I spent rescuing you four was all the time they had left. Nephthys either placed her mark around their throats…or killed them to eliminate the threat they might pose. To try and reach them now would waste time, put lives in danger, and be fruitless. I apologize, Serenity, but you must forget about your brother for the moment. When we defeat Nephthys and he is indeed under her spell, then he shall return to you."

"All right…," Serenity sniffed. The mere mention of Joey's possible death brought her to tears that she could not control. Jessica was a good enough friend to wrap her arms around the brunette and comfort her. She knew all too well what it was like to have a sibling on the brink of death…

"Guardians, protect them with your lives. I place my trust in you," Uria said as he took to the sky again. _I just hope I won't be too late where Karley is concerned. If Thief or Nephthys managed to reach her before me...It is all over._

* * *

Karley fell out of her bed, startled awake by obnoxious banging at the front door of her hotel room. Groggily and quite grumpily, she pulled herself off the floor and forced herself to stand. She didn't know who in their right mind would be visiting her at such a late hour, but they were going to get an earful for waking her. Unless they were Kaiba coming early to kick her out, of course. She couldn't exactly yell at her boss that gave her a life where before she had had none. She walked over to the door in her nightclothes, hoping beyond hope that it wasn't a guy out there. The last thing she needed was to be embarrassed and exposed in front of the opposite gender.

Outside was someone in a black cat helmet with glowing gold eyes. A freak, it seemed. Karley groaned, hoping beyond hope that this freak's knocking hadn't awoken the neighbors. She was used to fighting off freaks even in the worst situations. This person couldn't be any different. She took a deep breath in preparation for this fight.

"Karley? Are you in there?"

The blonde froze. That voice sounded just like that woman that had saved her on the road earlier. _What was her name...Nefer-Tina? She seemed like such a nice lady...If a little strange for not knowing what a hotel was. But now this? What's with the freaky helmet? Is she part of some crazy cat-worshipping cult or something?_

"Come on, Karley! I know you're in there! I don't have time for this and neither do you! Something dark is coming and if you don't hurry, you might not make it to tomorrow morning! I'm here to save your life again! Please, I know things are getting strange for you, but you have to believe me!" Nefer-Tina shouted.

There was desperation in her tone, like she truly believed Karley's life was in danger. But something still seemed quite off about that woman on the other side of the door, so the blonde was reluctant to even think about letting her in. She did slip into her bedroom to put on a pair of socks and her favorite boots, just in case this crazy lady was right after all. Forgetting all that she's ever known and having a terrible life put in front of her taught her to never take anything for granted.

Suddenly her front door came crashing into the floor, and Nefer-Tina strode in. Karley gaped at her and her strange cat armor (also what she wore in _Mummies Alive_), stunned that Nefer-Tina had actually kicked in that door. That thing probably cost more than what she made in a year, and Nefer-Tina had _destroyed_ it! She put her face in her hand. _Why do I always attract the nut-jobs that know how to fight? Oh, my life sucks!_

"We have to go now," Nefer-Tina stated authoritatively.

"Why? Are you late for your ritual sacrificing?" Karley snapped despite herself.

"No. The dark one is coming, and she wants you dead," Nefer-Tina remarked, ignoring Karley's rude comment because this was her charge. She swung her whip at Karley—it wrapped tightly around the girl's wrists before she could say any more rude words. "I don't have time to argue with you about whether this is real or not. I know it's real, and if she kills you, the rest of the world will fall. This isn't all about you, Karley Raine. You're part of a bigger picture that was painted long ago."

"…What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Karley demanded as Nefer-Tina grabbed her motorcycle keys and her long black jacket/trench coat that had been a gift from Kaiba.

"It means you're Hathor reborn, a White Mage Egyptian that walked this planet five thousand years ago. And Nephthys wants you dead," Nefer-Tina replied.

"You really are a piece of work, you know," Karley muttered.

"I'm not the one with the lost memories," Nefer-Tina rebuked.

Karley winced as if she had been dealt a physical blow. "H-How do you know about that?"

"Mirage has loose lips when it comes to her enemies and her mind," was Nefer-Tina's vague answer. "And as an Egyptian, I can tell these things."

Karley rolled her eyes. "Oh, so now we're both ancient Egyptians?"

"Shut up and quit insulting me! I may have respected Hathor, but I will not hesitate to hurt you if you keep this up!" Nefer-Tina snapped. Then she lost her anger and glanced fearfully towards the window. "Damn, we've wasted too much time. Here she comes."

The blonde wanted to shout that she was crazy again, but then that would be saying she was crazy, too. Even she could feel something was amiss. Something felt wrong, and Karley had a sensation that something very bad was going to happen. Nefer-Tina forced her to stand behind the woman, unwinding the whip so Karley was free again just as the window to her room was shattered. A black cat stood where the window had once been, but it soon turned into something else. A woman with long dark blue hair was crouched where the cat had been just seconds before, her face hidden from view by her locks and the fact she was looking down. Then her eyes shot up to meet those of Karley and she knew what Nefer-Tina had told her about going to die was true.

Pure hatred showed in those orchid eyes as the woman stood, her attire clearly Egyptian even to Karley. That hate could have been directed at either of them, but somehow Karley knew it was for her and not Nefer-Tina. _Perhaps Nefer-Tina isn't a freak after all, _she thought, backing towards the door. _She predicted this woman's arrival. And I've never met this person before, but she seems to really, really despise me. Perhaps I am some long-dead Egyptian reborn._

_Oh, who am I trying to fool? I still don't really believe this!_

"Nephthys," Nefer-Tina hissed.

"I should have known you and the other Guardians would be in this time. I should have sensed your unnatural heartbeats while I stood in the museum, but perhaps I was too distracted by the promise that I would be granted the chance to bring death to the world again to take heed of four out-of-place lives. After all, who else but you would be stuck in a sarcophagus when they gave up their lives like fools just to protect Iris reincarnate? What morons you Guardians truly are," Nephthys taunted.

"You're the moron for siding with the shadows. We're just following our duty," Nefer-Tina growled.

"Your duty is not to protect Hathor," Nephthys pointed out.

"It is when she's our hope of sending you back where you belong," Nefer-Tina retorted.

A hint of amusement reflected in the dark woman's orchid eyes. "This girl has no hope. I can see through her clearly. She has not the power of her first life, nor can she remember her time as Hathor. Even her memory of this life is fragmented. Ending her life shall not only ensure the end of the world for my Master, but it shall also put this poor creature out of her pathetic misery."

Karley flinched again and quickly looked away from Nephthys to avoid seeing her smirk, trying to fight back the tears the hurtful words had brought to the surface. Nefer-Tina pitied her despite herself, but she could not comfort the blonde with such a dark threat present. She quickly summoned Panther Warrior and Lady Panther for the offensive. Her opponent looked at the two Monsters with little interest. Nefer-Tina followed it up by summoning Turtle Tiger for the defensive to protect Karley. She tossed Karley's keys and jacket and Turtle Tiger's card over her shoulder to the girl.

"When I tell you to run, go and don't look back," she ordered. "He will protect you in my stead."

"…What about you?" Karley asked. She might not understand any of this, and the woman might be a freak, but she was the closest thing she had to a friend in her current situation…And she had saved Karley's life once already. Wasn't that enough?

"Don't worry about me. I'll catch up when I'm done here," Nefer-Tina replied. She swung her whip over her head and shot it lightning-quick towards Nephthys, striking her right across the face. "Now go! Get out of here before it's too late!"

Karley bolted from the hotel room, ignoring the people in the hall that had seen and heard everything as they stared at her passing form. Turtle Tiger ran beside her, her guardian since his mistress had given her the card that summoned him. Other people screamed when they saw him, but she didn't have time to think about them. All she had time to think about was survival, and that was innate. She managed to make it out to the parking lot in less than a minute and was on her bike in no time. The hotel was far behind her before she turned to look back.

She wished she hadn't.

The hotel was ablaze, all of it being licked by hungry orange flames and the dark sky became darker with the black smoke. Karley looked on in shock, too stunned for words as she stared at the wreckage. There was no way anyone but her could have gotten out of there—the fire had come so fast. It was the end of so many lives…So many people she knew…

The blonde collapsed to her knees beside Turtle Tiger, allowing the tears to flow freely now. She sobbed loudly into her hands without caring if anyone would see her. Turtle Tiger understood her pain as he had also lost someone in that fire and gently nudged her with his white head. She wrapped her arms around his neck, seeking comfort in a Monster that could have eaten her under any other circumstances. He sat on his haunches beside her, content to comfort but also keeping an eye out for danger.

"Nefer-Tina…," Karley whimpered. "…I'll never…forgive you for this…"

She heard the flapping of wings above her, but Turtle Tiger did not attack or even react to the noise, so she knew whoever was coming was a friendly. Still she did not lift her head; what had just happened in a matter of minutes had made her too upset to care about anything at the moment. When she felt a hand on her shoulder she stiffened, but that was all. She wouldn't let herself look up for anything.

"Karley, if you stay here much longer one of Nephthys's copies might find you," a deep yet female voice remarked.

Curiosity finally managed to overcome Karley's pain, so she moved her face so she could see the person. The figure had long spiky red hair and gray-brown skin, as well as fiery eyes and long wings that were the same shade as their hair. It was also dressed in nightclothes just like Karley, but unlike Karley they had no jacket to protect them from the elements or perverted eyes. Still, just looking at this person made it clear this was no ordinary human, if it was human at all.

"I am Uria, Lord of Searing Flames," the creature introduced. "I protected Carrie, and now I am extending the same courtesy to you. But I won't let you reject it because I cannot have you dying. The world depends on you."

"Well…I don't care. The world depending on my life…just cost all those people their lives," Karley sobbed, gesturing weakly towards the smoldering thing that was once her home. "All my friends…are dead. Nefer-Tina…She died, too, saving my ass from that Nephthys person…"

Uria's fiery eyes softened even more than they just were. "A grave loss, indeed. You were just lucky that Nephthys split herself into many forms. If she had been whole when she confronted you, there would be nothing left for miles, and I would not be speaking to you because we'd both be wiped from the face of this planet. Nefer-Tina performed her duty well…I just hope her fellow Guardians will take her loss well. Ja-Kal shall be most upset…just like you."

"What does…What does that bitch want with me?" Karley demanded.

"Ah. That, Karley, is a long story that shall take some explaining. Come with me, and I shall tell you all that you must know."

Reluctantly and on shaky legs, Karley climbed back onto her motorcycle. Turtle Tiger politely gave her helmet up to her with his mouth, which she took and numbly put it onto her head. Uria took flight once more above Karley. She started off down the road in the direction he specified, and he followed above while Turtle Tiger ran beside her, both Monsters keeping pace without breaking a sweat.

And then the impossible tale began to unweave.

* * *

_A/N: Wow...It's amazing what all can happen in a night, isn't it? I'm going to need the names of Mai, Serenity, and Mako's strongest Monsters, as well as a very strong Winged Beast Monster, Reptile or Spellcaster Monster, and Beast-Warrior Monster (for Ja-Kal, Rath, and Armon). Thank you for reading! Have a nice day!_


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Thief's eyes shot open when he heard Harpie's Brother shriek not far from his home. He hadn't expected for the Monster from Mirage's deck to be necessary—an immortal as powerful as she was should have had no trouble retrieving the Millennium Items and Egyptian God Cards from a place only inhabited by mortals. Something had gone amiss. Had Carrie managed to make it back in time to stop her? No, that wasn't possible. She had been weakened by Mirage and trapped within her own mind, not to mention that she was just a mortal. Could it have been the work of the mummy Guardians? That, too, seemed improbable. His magic would have kept them sealed for hours longer.

_That leaves only one other option, _Thief thought as Harpie's Brother appeared on the other side of his open window. _Uria must have decided to interfere. If I'd known that would have happened, I would have accompanied Mirage to the house. Our power combined could have overwhelmed that Fiend God. But alone, neither of us really stands a chance. How damaged my queen of darkness must be..._

Harpie's Brother came through the window, holding the battered Mirage in his arms carefully as to not cause her any more pain than she was already suffering. A bit useless, considering her curse, but Thief appreciated it nonetheless. She had fallen unconscious from blood loss along the way; with so many wounds, it was amazing she hadn't been knocked out as soon as she hit the pavement. At least there was no chance she could die. Her immortality would last so long as there was pain in the world. No matter how close to death she came, she would go on living because of the curse the gods had put upon her in life.

Thief gestured with his eyes towards Ryo's sofa, and Harpie's Brother gently placed Mirage's battered form there. She groaned despite his precautions. The Winged Beast was dismissed back to the Spirit Realm only to be replaced by Dark-Attribute Spellcasters to deal with Mirage's injuries. Light-Attribute Spellcasters and Fairies were better for healing, but were far less cooperative. He didn't want to deal with disobedient Monsters when his loved one was suffering.

Her dark eyes fluttered open several minutes later once her condition improved. She glared at the Monsters surrounding her until they backed away, afraid of what she might do to them. Thief approached her, not as cowardly as those he summoned. She sighed, letting her eyes close once more.

"…That Urine caught me offguard…He managed to reach the Items and Gods and get the mortals away before I was able to stop him," Mirage grumbled. "…Forgive me, Thief. I have failed you and Nephthys. All I have to show for my efforts…is this stupid battered body, and even this was healed by others. I am weak."

"No you're not, Mirage," Thief said.

"You or Nephthys could have succeeded at my mission," Mirage muttered.

"I would have failed even more so than you. I have not the power that you possess," Thief remarked, taking one of her hands in his. "You are strong, Mirage. You are the immortal one, cursed before birth to live as long as there is pain in this world. Your magic greatly exceeds my own. You are the most powerful woman I know…and I am not ashamed to say that."

"…Nephthys's power exceeds my own," Mirage stated.

"She may be strong, but-"

"She is," Mirage insisted, interrupting Thief. "I felt it the moment she separated me from Carrie. Her power has grown since she was burned alive. What I contain now is only a tenth of what she wields. Perhaps she even has enough power to destroy the world on her own terms without the Items."

Thief was awestruck. "Do…Do you really believe that?"

Mirage nodded once. "I do."

"You overestimate me, Mirage."

Both dark spirits turned to see Nephthys standing in the doorway to his apartment. Her face was unreadable, but then this woman was not known for her emotions. She strode towards the couch where Mirage lay and Thief knelt. Mirage kept her eyes on the blue-haired woman, looking at her with a mixture of jealousy and admiration. Thief still looked at her as one might look at a servant out of old habit.

"It is true, I am more powerful than you, but I am not more powerful than Life just yet. I require the aid of the Items and my Master to achieve that," Nephthys admitted. "Hathor's death is unnecessary, but it shall be done as a precaution so my plans will not end in disaster. She and Iris shall go to my goddess once more, and from there they shall rest in the afterlife or the fires of the underworld…Whichever my namesake decides."

"If you do not need me…Then why do you keep me alive?" Mirage demanded.

"You were the one that brought me back into flesh and bone. I am in your debt, and you are a powerful being yourself. To kill you now may turn out to be a very grave mistake. I do not have time to deal with mistakes," Nephthys replied. "You shall be of use to me."

"Did you succeed in bringing Carrie's friends under our control?" Thief wanted to know.

Nephthys nodded once. "They were incompetent weaklings, but I thought it best to keep them around as weapons against our enemies. Carrie and Karley will believe them to be friends, though the opposite shall be the truth. Their deaths will be quick. Then our plan can be put into motion."

"I thought you went to kill Karley, too," Mirage pointed out.

"That was…unsuccessful. That damn Guardian Nefer-Tina managed to reach her before me and distracted me long enough for the girl to get away. Pursuing her at the time would have been too dangerous…The Sacred Beast Uria is protecting her as of now." Nephthys sneered. "At least Nefer-Tina is finally out of the picture. She shall no longer get in my way when I am on the verge of victory." Her gaze turned towards Thief. "Forgive me for my failure to kill her this time, Master. It was because I had split myself and was distracted. The next time I see Karley shall be when she breathes her last breath."

"You are forgiven for that," Thief muttered.

"I will leave you two alone. I have my duties to perform to my goddess. Five thousand years makes no difference. I am still a priestess," Nephthys remarked before leaving just as quickly as she had come.

Mirage sighed and closed her eyes once more, a single tear rolling out from under each and traveling down the length of her face. Thief did not fail to notice them.

"She had no right to demean you so, Mirage. Nephthys has always been cocky, and for that you must pardon her. But I shall not. Her words have hurt you," Thief said.

"It's not that," Mirage murmured. "Well, it is, but there's more to it. I…always thought that I'd have a bigger part to play in the end of the world. Because I am…the immortal one cursed to feel all pain, you know? That belief became even stronger…once I met you and became close to you. When Hathor reappeared, I panicked I guess. A simple girl with no idea of who she was in the past couldn't have been that hard to take out. But Carrie knew and if they became too close, our chances of ever destroying the world would vanish. So I did the only thing I believed would improve our chances and get this over with quickly…And that was resurrecting Nephthys. I believed that she would be only as strong as she had been in life…But she's so much more, and she's not being cocky about that." The dark-haired woman's voice caught in her throat and she turned her face away from Thief. "Nephthys is so powerful, and men like you are attracted to power. I'm afraid I'm going to lose you to her, Thief. Even if we don't have that much time left in this place, I don't want to lose you to someone else even if it is her."

"…Mirage…" Thief had been unaware that Mirage could feel so strongly an emotion so human…So mortal.

"Damn human feelings!" Mirage swore, angrily raising her arm and wiping the tears from her eyes. "I blame Carrie wholeheartedly for this! Teenage girls always rub me the wrong effing way! Someone like me shouldn't be a blithering moron! I'm an immortal, for Anubis's sake!"

Thief grabbed her arm to stop her. She looked up at him through the tears, falling silent in her ranting for fear of what he was about to say or do. But he didn't say a word. He just moved in and let his body do the talking for him. Mirage melted into him, holding onto him like if she let go for even a second he would be gone. He clung to her just as tightly, only being a bit gentler because of her injuries. The Monsters that had been summoned earlier disappeared to grant the couple their privacy. Mirage and Thief didn't even notice.

They may have been immortals, but they liked to know they could still feel.

* * *

Karley was numb as she continued to ride her motorcycle through the streets of Domino City. Uria had revealed all about Hathor in a single hour, things that had taken many years to happen. Most of it seemed impossible, but then again, tonight had really pushed the limits of what was possible. Turtle Tiger had not slowed his pace despite the long trip; for a Duel Monster, this was probably just a casual stroll. Uria still floated above her, and both creatures caught attention from people they passed but everyone in the world was too busy to really care.

She wished she was as oblivious as they were again.

Uria directed for her to turn right, and without even thinking she did so. He had been giving her directions during his telling of her tale, and she followed them by instinct now and didn't even question where they were going. The farther they got from the burning hotel, the better. She didn't want to meet the Black Mage priestess that hated her ever again—one encounter was more than enough. But her crimson protector had made it pretty clear their meeting again was inevitable because she and Carrie had to defeat Nephthys together with their magic.

Or rather, Hathor and Iris's magic.

Karley had become immune to everything since she climbed onto that bike at the urging of a winged humanoid creature—or was it when she saw Nefer-Tina outside her door? Feelings, pain, the cold, reality, the world…She could feel none of it. It was the worst feeling in the world, even worse than when she woke up and couldn't remember anything of who she was. She would even trade to wake up and forget it all. At least then when Nephthys came for her she wouldn't know what hit her. She could have died a semi-happy normal girl…

But now that possibility was completely eliminated.

She could never be happy again…

And there was never a chance of her being normal, was there?

"Are you well, Karley? You have been silent for a long time," Uria remarked.

"…I'm fine…," Karley lied weakly, not caring.

"…I realize I have unloaded a lot on your shoulders just now…And after all that has just befallen you, it must hurt. I can understand if you do not believe it-"

"No, I believe you," Karley interjected. "I don't wanna, but some part of me knows you are telling the truth. Either that, or I'm hallucinating about a winged human thing and a white saber tooth tiger in a turtle shell. But it's not your fault. You didn't ask for any of this to happen and you did your best to prevent it. We…both lost people in that fire… You're just gonna hafta give me some time to get used to the fact I'm an ancient Egyptian reborn into this time with my life in jeopardy by someone who hated me way back when I was an ancient Egyptian."

Uria gave the slightest hint of a nod. "I understand, Karley."

"…Where are you leading me, anyway?" she asked.

"I had you going in circles for awhile in case Nephthys was tracking us, but she appears to have left you alone for now," Uria admitted. "I am taking you to the Kaiba mansion where I ordered the others to go. We'll be safe there."

Karley was taken aback and had to swerve to avoid hitting another vehicle on the road. "The Kaiba mansion? But…But Kaiba hates me! And he hates Carrie and all of her friends! Why the hell would you send us there? He'd turn us away to Nephthys before he'd even think of letting us step on his welcome mat! I thought you wanted to save us, not humiliate us before we all get killed!"

"The immortal one believed Kaiba to be an enemy to Carrie. Nephthys did not come to him to place him under her control," Uria explained calmly. "He may take some persuading, but he will eventually allow us to stay with him. The dark ones shall never suspect where we've stowed away. We'll be safe from their attacks…And there we can work on releasing your hidden power."

"All right," Karley grumbled. "I still don't think this will work, but you're the wise one."

Uria smiled. "A Fiend God my age had better be wise, especially if stuck with one such as the immortal one for so long."

"That's true," Karley agreed. Then she realized something and slapped her helmet over her forehead. "Oh crap! I can't believe I forgot about that!"

"What is it?" Uria wanted to know, noticing her motorcycle was losing speed.

"We've been driving around for so long…I've run out of gas!" Karley exclaimed, pulling off the road to avoid holding up traffic. "Damn it! I should have stopped to fill it up! Now we'll be stuck here out in the open! Nephthys will have no trouble finding us now!"

Turtle Tiger rolled his eyes as the bike came to a stop and he did as well. Karley climbed off the now useless vehicle and threw her helmet angrily to the ground. It actually cracked upon impact with the asphalt. She crossed her arms and pouted, plopping down on the ground next to the Duel Monster. Uria touched down in front of her, not understanding her sudden mood swing or reasoning at all.

"You do not require that to travel. Your legs work fine…And Turtle Tiger and I are more than capable of carrying you," he pointed out. "In fact, it would probably be faster if one of us did carry you. And leaving your horseless chariot here might throw Nephthys off our trail even further." He reached down to pick Karley's cracked helmet off the ground. "And your temper tantrum just gave me an idea. Have you ever wanted to fake your own death?"

Karley gave him a look. "What the hell kinda question is that to ask a girl, especially one that can't remember anything of her life past a few months ago?"

Uria shrugged indifferently. "Move out of the way and let me work some magic."

The blonde refused to budge, so Turtle Tiger sunk his teeth into the collar of her shirt and tossed her onto his back to move her himself. Uria used his powers to make an exact replica of Karley appear in front of him before placing the cracked helmet onto the copy's head. The copy then climbed onto Karley's useless motorcycle, looking ready to ride despite the empty tank.

"Do not look," Uria advised, and Karley obediently closed her eyes.

It didn't stop her from hearing the explosion, smelling the smoke, or seeing the light behind her eyelids, though.

She didn't have to see to know what he had done. He had faked her death, making it seem like she had been careless in her driving and veered off the road. Then she supposedly crashed into the stone barricade that kept vehicles from dropping twelve feet and blown up on contact. Death would have been immediate; very few remains would be left to find. Would anyone have even known whose body it was?

Karley didn't know, and she didn't want to think about it.

"Hold onto Turtle Tiger, and do not let go no matter what," Uria whispered in her ear. She felt his breath and sensed him right above her. She knew what he was going to do. He would lift Turtle Tiger into the air to make this trip quicker. They were going to fly together to Kaiba's mansion where they'd be safe and this night would finally end.

This night had already lasted too long.

* * *

Nephthys sat cross-legged on the roof of Thief's apartment building, chanting her incantation to her goddess as she had done every night to fulfill her duty as a priestess. Her orchid eyes were closed and she left her mind shut to her allies below, understanding that her Master possessed feelings for that Mirage woman that was not weak but not as strong as the blue-haired woman. Those feelings were being played out on this evening when the immortal one was feeling vulnerable, and Nephthys could not have her that way if her plan was to be set in motion. Her mind remained open to those she now had power over—it had to be, or what would be the point of having mind slaves?

She heard the approach of several figures, but was neither alarmed or concerned. She was the most powerful being on this pathetic planet—she had nothing to fear. Besides, those that approached where not against her, or even a threat. They were weak-minded fools.

Her eyes flashed open to meet the blank gaze of Yugi Muto. Behind him were Tea, Joey, Tristan, Duke, Alyssa, Pegasus, Grandpa, Mokuba, and all the people who lived with them save the last person. They had one thing in common—her amulet around their throats…The eternal flame. All these people were close to Iris and Hathor reincarnate. They would serve her well in hunting the elusive women down. Nephthys smirked.

"Come, children of Death. Join me in praising the goddess Nephthys for her work," she beckoned, gesturing for them to sit. And they did, for their minds were not their own to control. "By Ra's seventh arrival, She shall hold all the souls of the world in Her hand to judge for their place. Death shall finally take this world as Her own. And we shall all be free at last."

Their chanting rose high into the night sky, an eerie song to behold, for it announced to the world that the countdown to its end had begun.

* * *

Uria touched down just outside the gates that led up to Kaiba's mansion. There were guards posted outside as usual, but they seemed a bit distracted and they didn't even notice their arrival. The crimson Dragon saw the Volvo and convertible parked in the driveway; it meant the others he had saved had made it safely. He also sensed Slifer flying above them, staying high in order to avoid being seen by mortals. Karley staggered off of Turtle Tiger's back and stood next to him, looking towards the building that would be their asylum as long as there was need.

**Uria, let me take care of this, **Carrie urged, sounding stronger but still not up to one hundred percent.

_Are you sure you're well enough? _Uria asked.

**Yes. I already managed to escape the prison Mirage stuffed me in. I think I can handle Kaiba. Besides, he'll let me in. He wouldn't even think about letting someone into his home that looks like you.**

_Good point._

Uria released control of the body back to its rightful owner. Carrie almost fell, but Karley was quick to steady her. The blue-eyed blonde stared in amazement; just seconds ago this girl had been a humanoid form of a Dragon, and now she looked normal. How was that possible? Was it magic just like everything else seemed to be?

"Come on, Karley," Carrie murmured, walking over to the guards.

Karley obeyed and Turtle Tiger followed. Carrie talked with the guards for a few moments before one of them bugged Kaiba through his headset. The gates opened after that and a guard escorted them to the door. It seemed an odd precaution…Carrie wondered about what it could mean. Perhaps Uria was wrong and Nephthys had been here. Perhaps all these people were under her control. If that was true, then this whole night would have been for nothing.

The door opened before anyone could knock and there stood a distraught Kaiba. He couldn't even pull together an unemotional mask for one of his greatest enemies. Carrie did not know what had upset him, but she knew now that Nephthys hadn't come to this place yet. They were safe as Uria had predicted.

"What's wrong, Kaiba?" she wanted to know.

"Mokuba's gone missing, and you and your dork squad decided to bug me, that's what!" Kaiba snapped. He glanced over at Karley. "I heard about the fire at the hotel. Glad you weren't in the building…No one survived. I'll find somewhere else for you to stay on your own payroll."

Karley was about to make a snide remark, but Carrie clasped her hand over the other blonde's mouth. "Where was Mokuba when he disappeared?"

"In his bedroom, where else? The window's broken and there were signs of a struggle, but not much else. The police are taking care of it," Kaiba replied sarcastically with a roll of his eyes. "Now, would you mind telling me why I let your dork squad into my home and why you're here? I have enough to deal with without you bothering me."

"We need somewhere to stay. Someone's after us and they know where we live and where our friends live. We had to go somewhere they wouldn't suspect, so we thought the home of our greatest rival would be the safest place. You know how reliable the police are…So can we please stay with you?" Carrie asked, giving him her best puppy-dog eyes.

Kaiba was apparently immune. "Give me one reason why I should."

"If you let us stay as long as we want, I'll quit my job," Carrie stated.

"Done." The brunette businessman moved aside. "Come inside."

Carrie practically had to push Karley into the mansion—that girl was staring at her in awe again—and led her into the entry hall with Turtle Tiger. Kaiba closed the door behind them, beckoning for one of his maids to show these two to guest rooms. Another look at the blondes also had him requesting some outfits that wouldn't show off anything. Then he left them without even saying goodbye, probably heading into his home office to drink his problems away.

With him gone, Carrie turned to Karley. "Why were you staring at me?"

"How could you just give up your job just like that?" Karley demanded.

"I had no choice. It was the only thing that would get him to let us stay," Carrie said.

"But…But now you have no income! How will you live and support those that live with you?" Karley pressed.

"Mai and Mako have jobs, and there are other places that would be willing to hire me," Carrie told her calmly. "Our safety is top priority right now, anyway. Money won't matter the slightest if we don't stay alive long enough to defeat Nephthys. So stop staring at me like everything I do is amazing and start getting your head in the game. We've got a lot of work to do and not much time to do it in. Understand?"

Karley nodded once…

But did anyone really understand all of this?


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Carrie was shaken awake by rough hands at about ten in the morning, not even seven hours after she'd managed to get to bed. She groaned and pulled her head away from the satin pink pillowcase, rubbing the sleep from her eyes before looking at who had woken her up. She expected it to be Karley or Jessica, but instead it was Serenity that stood there. Her brown eyes were full of sadness, but her grip was firm. That grip gave away the fact that she was angry.

"Uria lied to me!" she cried, falling upon Carrie like she was the culprit. "I saw Joey walking down the street last night! He's alive and well! Uria said he'd be dead or under Nephthys's control, but he's not! You lied to me! You lied to me!"

The blonde quickly moved her arms to fend off the younger teen's attack. "I didn't lie to you, so back off!" She pushed Serenity back, but the force was enough to send the brunette tumbling to her knees on the floor. Carrie sat up and faced her without much sympathy. "Uria is not a liar, and neither am I. Get that through your head now before that anger gets you hurt. Joey would not be out at such a late hour for any reason because your father would punish him. The only reason he would have been out is if he was being controlled by Nephthys, and therefore it proves that Uria was telling the truth. Your brother and my friend is under Nephthys's spell."

"No! That can't be true!" Serenity shouted, trembling with her eyes looking at the floor. "I saw Father with him, too! They were together on the street going somewhere with your other friends and their family not too far behind! I think I even saw Mokuba with them!"

"That proves it even further! All of those people would be in bed at such an hour under normal circumstances, and they wouldn't be moving in the same direction! Think, Serenity! Mokuba went missing and someone stole him from his room! For him to just suddenly reappear with those people…It's not coincidence! They were all going to their new mistress to serve her!" Carrie snapped.

_**Carrie, I believe you're being a bit too hard on her, **_Yami warned.

_I know, but I don't have time to be gentle, _Carrie muttered. _She'll forgive me for it later._

"What do you know? You just like to be a hero and think you're always right!" Serenity countered, glaring through her tears at the blonde. Carrie was taken aback by her outburst and stared in shock. "You've been wrong before! You were wrong about Marik Ishtar! You were wrong about Noah Kaiba! And you're wrong now! You're no hero, Carrie! You're…You're the reason all of this stuff happens!"

"Well, if that's the way you view this situation, then you can move back in with your mother after this whole ordeal is over!" Carrie growled, getting to her feet and grabbing Serenity by the collar of her shirt more roughly than she really wanted to. "Think what you will of me, but I'll not have you running off to be captured or killed, too! I'll have Kaiba lock you up if I must! I may not be a hero, but I'm more of one than you'll ever be! Just remember who's saved the world countless times while you're locked away in your room and I bet your name won't come to mind even once!"

Carrie dropped Serenity to the floor and briskly walked towards the door. She came to a stop just in front of it.

"You'd better be ready to say goodbye," Carrie grumbled without looking at Serenity. "Cuz when I save your brother from Nephthys, that's the last time you'll see him."

Then she slammed the door behind her.

She was not surprised to find Kaiba standing just outside of her room, leaning against a wall in his usual ensemble. He was not the person she wanted to see at the moment. Her anger was already bubbling and that was just from an encounter with the usually peaceful Serenity. What would talking to him do to her? Carrie really didn't want to find out, so she walked down the hall without giving him a second look. He followed behind.

"What do you want?" she demanded without turning around or slowing down.

"I want you to stop telling people Egyptian fairy tales. Apparently it's giving your little friend nightmares," Kaiba replied.

"I never tell fairy tales, Rich Boy. They're all lies because there's no such thing as a happily ever after. Nephthys is real, Duel Monsters are real, and the reality of our deaths being very close is real. If you're too thick-headed to realize it after everything you've seen, then that's just your stupidity," Carrie remarked.

Kaiba chose to ignore that. "…Were you serious about locking Serenity away?"

"Of course I was serious. I know her too well. She'll try to run off to get her 'Big Brother' and end up being caught. I already have enough to deal with as it is without her being kidnapped all the time like she's_ your_ younger sibling," Carrie told him. "Even you have to admit that Mokuba gets kidnapped quite a bit."

"I really should consider putting a leash on him," Kaiba agreed. "If you think that's best, I'll have her locked in one of the basements. There are no windows and the only door would be locked tight. She couldn't get away or be in the way."

"_One_ of the basements? Sheesh, you really are too rich," Carrie muttered under her breath. "Why would you help me out? You've already got the promise of me quitting my job. What could you possibly gain from helping me further?"

"Maybe I'm just a nice guy," Kaiba suggested.

"Or maybe you just got your kicks from seeing me attacked and angered," Carrie amended.

"There's that," Kaiba murmured. "I have business to attend to. Breakfast has been served in the dining room on this floor. The others have gotten there, but there's still food on the table. If you need any guidance, ask one of my servants. Hopefully I won't see you later."

"Right back at you, Rich Boy," Carrie grumbled as the businessman walked away. Then she sighed and leaned against the wall for support, glad to finally have a moment's peace. She hadn't had time to let her emotions play out until now and they all decided to come crashing down on her. The tears came before she could stop them; she let them fall down her face without interruption. Her friends were all under the control of her enemies. There wasn't much time left until the end. Nephthys would be hunting them down, whether it be with her own face or that of someone close to her. Nefer-Tina was dead. The world could follow her into the afterlife. Its fate rested on the shoulders of two teenage girls—one who could remember next to nothing and one that could remember far too much.

_...Can we truly hope to win...when so much is against us? _Carrie thought sadly. _I...I don't want to have to hurt my friends for the sake of the world. And I...don't know if I can tap into Iris's power. I'm not her. The only magic I've ever used...was borrowed from Mirage and the Millennium Puzzle._

**Have more confidence in yourself, Carrie. I know you have the power. You must believe in yourself and in Karley, **Uria said from the bowels of her mind.

_Easy for you to say. You don't have as much at stake here, being immortal and all._

**On the contrary, I have more at stake than you think. If the world dies, I would have failed my task and would disappear into darkness. I have also grown attached to you, and losing you and yours would be a grave loss indeed. Do not judge me by my lifespan, dearest Carrie. Judge me for who I have become.**

_...I won't hurt my friends._

**You will not have to. All that is needed to free them from Nephthys's control is to destroy her symbol that she placed around their throats. Her amulet is the reason they are under her power. Destroy the amulet, sever the control.**

_Sounds simple, but it's probably one of those easier said than done situations._

**You may not want to hurt your friends, but they will not hesitate to hurt you.**

_I figured as much...So how do I tap into dear old Iris's magic?_

**It shall take some time and much concentration. It cannot be accomplished in one day's time, usually. You and Karley would need to be in solitude—yes, even the Pharaoh would have to be separated from you—and you would need to delve deep within yourselves. Travel past your lives all the way to the first, and in essence become what you were in that life. Do that once and you shall never have to do it again. Iris shall always be a part of you, as Hathor shall always be a part of Karley.**

_Do we have enough time for that?_

**If we start after you've eaten, we shall.**

_...But what about Karley? She can't even remember this life, let alone be able to reach back to Hathor. And while we're inside ourselves, who's gonna protect this place from Nephthys and her minions?_

**I shall guide Karley—I am not much of a distraction, I believe. The Guardians are enough of a match for any of Nephthys's minions with their decks, and Slifer is still floating above this place. We shall be safe, I promise.**

_You'd better stay true to that promise, Uria. Cuz if we all die, I'm gonna kick your ass._

* * *

Ja-Kal sat in the bedroom that Kaiba had given him, staring at the floor as he had done ever since Carrie had told him of Nefer-Tina's unfortunate demise. No one had bothered him; he was glad they hadn't. No one tried to console him; they wouldn't have known what to say, anyway. No one even came near his door unless they were passing towards their own room; he felt alone but preferred to be so in his grief.

He hadn't even bothered to remove his armor. That was how hard her loss had struck him. He had gone over the events of last night over and over, trying to see how he might have changed it. But he knew everything would have ended the same. Some part of him had known he'd never see her again as soon as she climbed onto her motorcycle and told him she was going to save Karley.

She had meant so much to him. In life and death, she had been a friend and a comrade in battle. A fellow Guardian to Iris and then Carrie. The youngest member and the only female, but far stronger than she looked. A bit head-strong, but compassionate and bright, willing to stand for her beliefs no matter what. She had been so much, and now she was gone and he had failed to stop that from happening. He had failed her as a leader, a friend, a comrade…

This night had added to the number of loved ones he would never see again, joining Nefer-Tina with his wife and son that had been gone for so long now…

The mummy reached for the locket around his neck that hung next to his amulet. Nefer-Tina had given it to him as a gift for his day of birth…And within were the more important gifts. A photo of the Guardians in this time with Carrie on one side, and on the other a hand-drawn family portrait of him and his long-lost family. Nefer-Tina had understood how much he missed his infant son and his wife, so she had taken it upon herself to bring them into this time to be with him forever. Ja-Kal had actually cried when he saw it—he was not ashamed to admit that. That locket had also opened a door in his heart that had been closed ever since his death, a door he didn't want to open again without his wife being the one holding the key.

Ja-Kal looked at Nefer-Tina's smiling face and wondered if it could really be true.

A sudden knocking at his door brought him back into reality. Rath opened the door and stood in the doorway, looking at his leader with apologetic green eyes

"Ja-Kal…I know you don't wish to be bothered, but Uria wishes to speak with us," the former scribe told him. "He says it's important…But if you're not feeling up to it, I can make up an excuse."

The leader shook his head and stood. "No need for that, Rath. I'm as fine as I'll be. Besides, my first duty is the protection of our mistress. I cannot let her down just because we've lost one of our own. If she and Karley need me, then I shall serve them as best I can."

Rath sighed. "All right. If that is how you feel, then I won't say anymore. Just follow me so we can get this thing over with. I don't know about you, but I'm not too fond of talking to a former Fiend God. He unnerves me like no other."

"He has changed, Rath, much like the rest of us. And as of now, he's our only hope of standing against Nephthys, Mirage, and Thief. We must trust him to guide us and our mistress in this time of need."

"…It's not that I don't trust him…It's just hard to get past what he once was."

They came into the living room that was on this floor in this section of Kaiba's mansion where the others were gathered. Ja-Kal noted the absence of Serenity, but assumed it was for good reason. He and Rath took their seat beside Armon and turned their attention to the humanoid Uria as he had taken control of Carrie's body once more. Karley was beside him, and Turtle Tiger sat on his haunches at her feet. Just seeing that Duel Monster reminded the Guardian leader of their greater loss…

"Carrie and Karley begin their training today," Uria declared, fiery eyes moving from one person to the next in an attempt to gather the whole room in his vision. "They shall be locked away from the rest of the world, where they shall delve deep into themselves to unlock their magic lost in the first life. As so, no one is to bother them. But the downside is there shall be a lessening of protection to this place. Guardians, I wish for you to assume your duties. Protect these people as if they were your mistress, as your mistress shall be depending on you to keep them safe."

"Understood," was Ja-Kal's reply.

Jessica pouted and crossed her arms. "I don't need to be protected! I've got my own deck of Monsters I can summon to keep me safe, and even they are a backup plan! I could kick any of the baddies' asses if they decided to show their faces around here! I don't need to rely on some decayed people to watch over me! I can handle myself!"

"…That was a bit uncalled for…," Armon murmured, hurt.

"I'm sorry, Armon," Jessica apologized, reaching over to hug him quickly.

"It is true that you can summon Duel Monsters into this realm, but there is a price to pay for wielding such power. That Monster becomes connected to you—their pain becomes your pain. If they are destroyed by the enemy, then you suffer great pain unfathomable by words. The more Duel Monsters you summon, the more connections made and the more to sever, resulting in greater suffering and perhaps even death. Summon my kind wisely, Jessica. There are more important things in this world than your ego," Uria warned.

"And what, may I ask, are we supposed to do while our friends are preparing to save the world?" Mai asked, bored already.

"I have something in mind for you, but you'll have to wait until I help Karley," Uria told her. The blue-eyed blonde gave him a questioning look. "You see, in order to gain the power of Hathor, you must delve into the memories of your lives. Some sort of barrier is preventing you from remembering the life you live now, and I shall guide you into breaking that barrier down so that others may follow. This is something Carrie has already accomplished; I do not need to guide her. But it is a different story with you."

"All right. I think I'm beginning to understand," Karley mused, scratching Turtle Tiger behind the ears like Nefer-Tina used to do. "But what about this little guy here? He hasn't left me by myself since he was given to me. Hell, he even climbed into bed with me last night and curled up beside me. I doubt he'd let me go into solitary confinement without trying to come in."

"He knows his boundaries, and since he is an intelligent creature, he is aware of what must be done. But it will probably be best for both of you if he remained by your side throughout this process as he is the closest to you of all of us and gives you the strength to go on despite the pain," Uria stated.

"So let me guess. We're not allowed to leave here while you're busy," Mako muttered.

Uria shook his head. "That would be unwise, Mako. The enemy now parades around wearing the face of your friends and could catch you at any moment. The safest place to be is here under the protection of Slifer and the Guardians. If you leave, I cannot promise you shall live very long."

"But couldn't Mokuba return here? If that happened, Kaiba wouldn't hesitate a moment to let him back home," Mai pointed out.

"I shall have that dealt with," Uria assured her. "…We cannot stay here much longer. Carrie and Karley need as much time as we can provide, and it is running short as it is. Do what you will; I shall come for you when Karley is well on her way. Now if you will excuse me…I have preparations to make."

* * *

Out of the rubble that was once a hotel, a loud roar emitted into the sky. A large red-ish-colored tiger sniffed out the scent of her master, ignoring the tanned figure following her. The lady remembered her mistress summoning them before going in for Karley in case something went wrong. They were meant to go in after her once the coast was clear. The humans had left the place alone after dousing the flames; they hadn't wanted to go through the rubble to see the graveyard left in the hotel's wake. It was their mortal feelings that gave these two time to rescue their mistress from this place.

"_Ehren, she is close," _the tiger growled, leaping over rubble towards where Karley's room had once stood a few stories up. "_Nephthys's scent is overwhelming, but I sense her strongly. Let us hope she is well. We do not have all the power to heal her and return her to her comrades right now, but we will if we must."_

The Lightsworn Monk nodded and followed the tiger, also sensing her mistress stronger the more she went in this direction. Her golden staff cried in her hands, and she knew it was due to all the death about here. She could almost count the number of lives that had come to an end at Nephthys's hand…It was over three hundred, for sure. Ehren had doubted that a mortal could ever do so much damage, but like Uria she had overlooked this woman when she had last walked the earth in flesh. She could not make that mistake now. Nephthys was powerful and nearly destroyed her mistress. To overlook her now would be foolish.

"_Ehren," _the tiger beckoned, standing on a rather large pile of rubble. "_I sense her here. She must be buried under all of this...We must dig her out."_

"We must also work quickly, Amazoness Tiger. The humans shall not wait too long to come to claim their dead, and we cannot be caught here moving through the rubble looking for a mummy," Ehren reminded her. Taking a deep breath, she dropped her staff and began to move the rubble and…other things…with Amazoness Tiger.

"_Do not worry, Nefer-Tina," _Ehren thought. "_We shall save you."_


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"Carrie, are you sure you want to go through with this?" Yami asked, sitting on her bed beside the blonde as she stared at the Puzzle in her hands.

"I have no choice, Yami. If I don't tap into Iris's power, Nephthys will bring death and destruction upon the world," Carrie reminded him. "We won't be separated forever, you know. Only until I become the magician Iris was. Then you'll be back around my neck and everything will be fine."

"You don't know that for certain. Nephthys could send her minions here to gather the Items, or she might even come herself," Yami pointed out.

"And Slifer will take care of her and the Guardians will dispatch her minions," Carrie told him. "You worry far too much for a dead guy, you know that?"

Yami smiled. "I've seen too much as a dead guy to not worry. I just don't want you to join me in this realm too quickly, Carrie."

"That's why you gotta leave me alone to delve into Iris's power," Carrie said, dropping the Puzzle into his invisible lap and pulling Uria's card from her pocket. "Even if you don't think you're distracting, we can't risk it. Your sexiness might divert my attention just enough that I can't do what is necessary. You don't want that, do you?"

"No, I suppose not," Yami muttered with a smirk at her comment.

"Uria, Lord of Searing Flames! I summon you…But please don't be at your normal size!" Carrie pleaded.

The Sacred Beast's card glowed with a fiery light; Carrie closed her eyes to avoid being blinded by it. A miniature version of Uria appeared hovering above the floor. He had known better than to be summoned at full size, considering he was almost as large as Slifer and therefore would have torn apart Kaiba's mansion. He was about a fiftieth of his size, which meant he was about the size of a large snake. Carrie handed over her deck and the Millennium Puzzle to him.

"Take good care of them for me, Uria," Carrie murmured.

"You have my word, Carrie," Uria promised before flying out of the room. The door closed magically behind him, and the blonde knew he would lock it and protect it so no one could disturb her. She sighed, making herself comfortable on the bed and crossing her legs as one might if they were meditating. She closed her emerald eyes to the world, allowing herself to only face darkness. From here, she would travel back in time, through the memories of this life to all the lives that had come before her. Five people had possessed Iris's soul before Carrie, and she had seen them all once before. That had been for knowledge's purpose. This time would be for saving the world's purpose.

_Ready or not, here I come, Iris, _Carrie thought before the memories began playing.

* * *

Karley paced nervously around her room, waiting for Uria to come. Turtle Tiger was lying down on her bed, watching her lazily through one barely opened eye as she made her laps. The blonde wasn't sure if she was ready for this. So much had happened since her decision to return to school…No, since she had forgotten everything. Now she was given the chance to remember it all and more to save the world. Did she really want this? Was she ready to face her past and past lives? She didn't know, and not knowing made her nervous. She fidgeted as she paced, knowing if she kept this up she might make a hole in the floor and Kaiba would get angry at her, but she didn't care.

The door opened on its own, hitting the wall gently but enough to make Karley jump about five feet. Uria floated in, and though she had never seen the Duel Monster before, she knew he was smaller than normal to make his job easier. He had a deck of cards in one of his claws, but the Puzzle was not on him as he had placed it with the other Items where he believed it would be the safest. The door closed behind him on its own as well, and he faced Karley silently.

"…So…How are you ensuring my and Carrie's safety again?" Karley asked, fidgeting.

"The Winged Dragon of Ra stands protectively outside of Carrie's magically sealed door and Obelisk the Tormentor stands outside yours," Uria replied. "The Guardians are your first line of defense, of course. The Egyptian God Monsters are a secondary defense that cannot fail, especially not with Slifer at his full size. You shall be safe, Karley."

"Safe from my enemies…But not from my emotions or my past," Karley grumbled, hoping he wouldn't hear her.

No such luck.

"I will not lie to you. This won't be easy. This life you have forgotten may be full of pain and memories you shall not wish to remember. Your other lives may be the same way. But you must go through with this for the sake of the world…And for your own sake. You have wanted to know who you were ever since you lost it all. This is your chance. And as painful as some memories may seem, there are always the good ones to hold onto," Uria reminded her. He gently touched Karley with his tail. "Just remember, you're not alone in this. I shall be beside you until your mental barrier is broken, and then there's Turtle Tiger. He won't leave you alone. If the memories get to be too painful, just call for him and he shall come to lend his strength. You can do this, Karley. You're not alone anymore, I promise."

Karley sighed and looked down at her hands. "…You promise?"

"Yes, I do. The word of a Sacred Beast is binding," Uria swore.

"…All right. Tell me what to do, Oh Sacred One."

Uria smiled. "Take a seat."

Karley plopped down in the middle of the floor and took the same position Carrie held. Uria placed Carrie's deck on the dresser before flying over to the blue-eyed girl. He dropped to the ground, wrapping himself comfortingly around the teenage girl, taking care not to be too tight as he did not want to harm this mortal. She giggled as his tail moved back and forth like a cat's.

"What is so funny?" he inquired.

"Your tail tickles," Karley remarked.

"My apologies," Uria murmured, moving his tail away from her.

"So what happens now?" Karley asked.

"You must relax and let yourself go. Eventually your mind shall seek out your spirit that holds all of your memories and will try to delve into them. This was easier for Carrie because unlike you, she had her memories of this life…She just chose not to remember them unless she had to. Something happened to you that created a barrier within your memories to prevent you from recalling anything. It would be hard for you to get past that barrier on your own, but with my help it should prove to be a small hindrance. I shall allow my energy to flow into you, and that shall give you the strength to bring down that mental barrier of yours," Uria explained.

"…And how are you gonna transfer your energy to me?" Karley wanted to know.

"Like this."

He pulled his body in closer to her, and suddenly she felt him inside her, like another spirit in the shell that was her body. Uria felt powerful, much more so than she could ever hope to be. It scared her just a bit to meet something so epic that it dwarfed her, but she knew she could trust him. He was only there to help her retrieve Hathor's inheritance, not to devour her soul or steal her body right from under her nose. Uria was and would always be one of the good guys. So Karley clung to his spirit with her own, trusting it to lead her to where she needed to go.

Her mind became like an old gray labyrinth one might find in Greece or Rome. She was confused, but didn't question it. Minds were complex things; hers might have always looked liked this but she had never looked at it too long before this. Uria relied on her as much as she relied on him to guide them through the labyrinth of her memories. With every correct turn, she recalled something of her past that she already knew. This labyrinth represented what had happened to her over the past few months after her incident that made her forget so much. Eventually she would run into a wall where the memories ran out.

Karley grasped Uria's scales tightly as she remembered the events of the previous night, tears streaming down her face as she felt the loss once more. So many lives were extinguished in one instant…What if her other memories were just as painful? But Uria's strength kept her strong enough to make another turn, and a better memory came to calm her down.

"**Not all your memories will be pleasant," **Uria reminded her. **"But it's better to know and choose not to remember than to have no memory at all."**

Some time later, though it felt like no time had passed at all, they came to her mental barrier created by the unknown. It was a giant stone wall that didn't give way even when Uria decided to charge it. Whatever had created it was powerful if it would not fall for a former Fiend God. Karley climbed from the crimson Dragon's back and approached the wall herself. She reached out to touch it, but as soon as she made contact with it she was shocked. She swore and pulled back her hand.

"**Interesting. It seems not to recognize you," **Uria remarked.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Karley asked.

"**It means this barrier was not created by you, or at least, not solely by you. Some outside force placed this in your mind against your will…Something strong. That is why it did not fall at your touch and instead shocked you," **Uria told her. **"Now we must find a way to get around that fact."**

"Why don't I just kick it? That usually works when something pisses me off," Karley suggested. She didn't wait for Uria's opinion. She just charged at the wall and tried to roadhouse kick it.

Guess how well that worked out.

"…**Uh…I do not believe brute force alone will conquer your barrier," **Uria muttered with a sweat drop as he watched Karley hop around swearing with her injured foot in her hands.

"No dip, Sherlock! What gave that away? My potty mouth or the injury?" Karley snapped as she let herself fall to the ground, crossing her arms and pouting. "I hate my mind right now! I wish it would cooperate with me!"

"**Things worth accomplishing are not accomplished easily. You must have faith, Karley. Stay strong. We shall find a way to take out that wall," **Uria assured her.

"…I know…I just thought that…since this is my big chance to figure out who I am…That I'd be able to do this better," Karley murmured, a tear falling from her eye without consent. It slid down her face alone to show her pain. "…Maybe…It just wasn't meant to be. Perhaps I'm meant to go through my life…without knowing…"

Her tear hit the floor. _"Karley,"_ a female voice called out to her as the droplet shattered.

The blonde's head shot up and she quickly looked around for the source of the voice. It sounded so familiar, yet she couldn't put a name or a face to it. Whoever that voice belonged to, it was someone from her long-forgotten past. Her heart raced, demanding to know who that person was and why they felt so familiar.

"_Karley, forgive me for this," _the familiar female voice whispered as more tears fell from the blonde's blue eyes. _"There are bad people after you for the secrets you've learned and the knowledge you possess. I can't let them get you, so I'm suppressing your memories with this machine. Your father would be here to say goodbye, but he's downstairs with his gun to give us time for when the bad guys show up. The only thing you'll remember to do when you wake up...is run." _The woman's voice broke after this; Karley could hear her crying just as clearly as if she was standing beside the woman just then. _"I know you won't remember me after this...But I hope a part of you will know that we loved you with all our hearts...And we did what we had to in order to keep you safe."_

A memory flashed through Karley's mind that fit what she had just heard. She saw herself within some machine, her eyes closed to the world as something happened to her mind inside that technology. A woman with dark blonde hair and brown eyes that seemed to be twenty or so years her senior stood by the machine, whispering the words to her as tears rolled down her own face. Despite obvious differences, Karley could tell that this woman was her mother.

She had had a mother…

The machine opened, and with it so did Karley's eyes. A blank look was on her face as she sat up, unaware of anything because her mind was wiped. She stared at the woman that was her mother without knowing her identity, wondering if she should run or not. The blonde woman smiled a grim smile—Karley looked at her crying face and wondered what the cause of her tears was.

Then she heard gunfire downstairs and there was no time to waste. The woman yelled for Karley to run, and though the girl didn't know the woman anymore, she knew better than to stay there and not listen to her. She ran for the open window where a rope ladder was already in place. She climbed down faster than she thought possible and was running for the woods in less than a minute. Shots increased as she continued her escape, and a tear fell from her eye as she subconsciously accepted that the woman that had told her to run was dead.

She hid within a hollow tree while she caught her breath, knowing the bad guys would be pursuing her. When she heard strangers' approaching, she went still and silent. No one came close to finding her, and eventually she heard their leader call it a day. He believed her parents had hidden her away somewhere else and they should return to their hideout. As they left, she made a mental note to call the police and have that guy arrested, especially since someone was stupid enough to call him by his name and give up the hideout.

Karley shuddered as she remembered the last of her known memories as it was mingled with one she couldn't recall. Uria helped her up off the ground—she hadn't even realized she had collapsed until then. She hugged him tightly, glad for his strength. If it wasn't for him, she never would have made it this far.

"…I…I saw my mother," Karley whimpered. "She's the one who…wiped my mind. It was for…my safety. I think I might have…agreed to it…but I'm…not sure just yet. Oh, it was awful, Uria. People were trying to get me…"

"**But you put those people in jail, remember?" **Uria reminded her, referring to a memory she had known but had never made sense of before now. **"They can hurt you and yours no longer. You are safe, Karley. Memories cannot hurt you. They remain only for knowledge's purpose." **He looked at the wall that kept Karley from the rest of her life's memories. **"Do you believe you can get past the barrier now?"**

"…Maybe…," Karley mumbled. She approached the barrier on shaky legs, still overwhelmed by that first memory of the family she had had once. Uria stayed by her side in case she had need of him. She placed both palms on the wall and was not shocked this time. The wall trembled at her touch, shuddering as if shaken by the force of the earth. It fell apart, collapsing away from Karley and disappearing into thin air as it did so. Soon there was nothing standing where the barrier had been. All that remained now was a straight walkway that seemed endless.

"**There lies all your memories of this life and the past ones," **Uria informed her. **"From this point on, you must travel alone."**

"…Alone? Why?" Karley demanded.

"**Because that is the way it must be. I am not supposed to know all that has happened to your spirit," **Uria replied.

"But you know what happened to Carrie's!" Karley pointed out.

"**That is different. I was bound to her in order to contain the immortal one, a duty of which I failed. Of course I would know what happened to her spirit. But I am not allowed to know the secrets of anyone else's lives. Besides, if I came with you, I do not think you would be granted your inheritance. This is something you must do alone, Karley." **He tilted her chin upward with his tail so she was looking at him. **"I believe in you. You can do this."**

Karley sighed. "All right. I'll try. You can abandon me. But when I'm done saving the world, I'm never EVER talking to you again for this! Got it?"

Uria just chuckled before his spirit faded from her mind. Karley turned back towards the long walkway and took a deep breath.

Her time had come.

* * *

"Carrie and Karley are not at school," Mirage remarked, pacing around the room as Thief and Nephthys watched. Their minions had returned with no information on the two that could mean doom for the dark side. It seemed they were lying low for now. "This is not good. With Uria on their side, the longer they evade us the more time they have to unlock their first lives' power. If that happens-!"

"I can dispatch them easily," Nephthys interrupted, pausing in braiding Joey's hair to look at Mirage meaningfully. "Hathor is my rival and my equal, but that was when we were both living five millennia ago. Her power laid dormant, but mine has grown stronger. She shall stand no chance against me. And as for Iris…Well, she was no Mage."

"But she was trained under the man that became the Dark Magician," Thief pointed out.

Nephthys shrugged. "I have never truly fought Iris; I cannot judge how strong she may have been. All I know is how strong I am, and I still believe myself to be more powerful than Iris and Hathor combined. We shall find out if I am correct soon enough."

"Are we just going to sit here or are we going to try to find them?" Mirage demanded.

"How do you suggest we find them?" Thief asked.

"I have a portion of Iris's soul. If I use my magic, I should be able to track down the rest of it," Mirage said.

"So do it," Nephthys told her.

Mirage glared at the blue-haired woman. "It takes time."

"Time? We have very little of that," Nephthys stated. She closed her eyes and resumed braiding Joey's hair. "They are in the same place as Priest Seth. Both of their spirits are highly active. I assume they're delving into themselves to retrieve their inheritance left by their previous lives."

The dark-haired woman turned away from Nephthys and crossed her arms. _I hate it when she upstages me!_ _Why didn't I figure out they went to Kaiba's? Anubis, she makes me feel like a simpleton! Sometimes she makes me wish I hadn't resurrected her into the flesh! At least I'd still be the most powerful spirit here!_

"I shall send my minions to Priest Seth's new home. They should be more than enough to gather the Items and take care of those nuisances. No need for any of us to go there… Unless you want to, Mirage. I think this would be a duty more fitting of you," Nephthys commented, angering Mirage further. As usual, Nephthys didn't care. She turned back to her minions—they were all dressed in the garb of a Black Mage now and their hair was changed to her color as well. Their eyes glowed with an eerie red color because of the amulets she had forced around their throats. She smiled. "Go, my servants, to the home of Priest Seth reincarnate! Bring me the Millennium Items, and destroy anyone who gets in your way with your Duel Monsters! And send Iris and Hathor to their graves!"

They could do nothing but obey their mistress. Mirage watched them go with rage still burning in her dark eyes.

"They'll fail. The mortals in Kaiba's mansion will find a way to beat them," she grumbled. "They always do. Then you'll have nothing to show for this."

"Then I suggest you make sure they don't fail," Nephthys remarked. "And if you do not wish to follow that and complain further, I might have to destroy you."

"Nephthys!" Thief reprimanded, but his former servant was unfazed.

Mirage huffed. "I'll go, but I'm not doing it because you told me to or because you threatened me. I could care less if you killed me; I am immortal. The only way I could truly die is if the world died, and you won't be able to do that without the Items. So talk all you want, Nephthys. You can't get rid of me so easily without having to get rid of yourself."

Nephthys smirked. "That is true. But I could still cause you great pain, which is even worse than death." She watched Mirage start after her minions. "Oh, could you please send back the boy that looks like the Pharaoh? I just adore his hair…And I'm not quite finished with him."

_Reduced to messenger duty, _Mirage thought bitterly as she went to order Yugi back. _How humiliating for someone like me._

* * *

Ehren breathed a sigh of relief as she and Amazoness Tiger finally reached the body of their mistress. It had taken hours of hard work, but they had done it. Nefer-Tina lay amidst the rubble, the Trap Waboku still keeping her safe after all this time. The female mummy had activated it just in the nick of time—the blue-cloaked women created a barrier that prevented her and her Monsters from being destroyed by Nephthys's attack. Their magic had also protected them from being severely hurt by the collapsing rubble or the falling to ground level.

Nefer-Tina was unconscious, her cat helmet cracked open by means unknown to Ehren. Her whip was not in its best condition, but it was still clutched tightly in one hand while Waboku was clutched in the other. Panther Warrior, though hurt himself, watched over her with his sword at the ready. Lady Panther lay sleeping beside her mistress, looking more beat up than either of her companions. Ehren couldn't help but pity her fellows and admire them for their loyalty. The purple panther lowered his weapon when he saw them, relief shining in his yellow eyes as he saw friends for the first time in what felt like an eternity.

"_You look like you've been through hell," _Amazoness Tiger teased.

Panther Warrior chuckled. "Well, let's see how well you'd fare in my situation. Facing Nephthys, surviving rubble being dropped on your head, having the ground give way under you and having to fall thirty feet, and surviving a fire…Yeah, you'd look this bad, too." He bent down and gently shook Lady Panther. "Wake up, Lady. We're saved."

The brown spotted panther woman opened her eyes feebly and glanced up at Ehren and Amazoness Tiger. "…You…finally made it…"

"_Yeah, it's good to see you, too," _Amazoness Tiger muttered. "_Ehren, do your stuff."_

Ehren, Lightsworn Monk, collected her staff from the rubble and approached the protective barrier created by the Waboku ladies. She dismissed them—their magic disappeared with them. Then she stood in the middle of the three injured warriors and stuck her staff deep into the ground. The dark-skinned Warrior began chanting a spell of healing onto her comrades and mistress to restore them to their full potential. Their wounds healed right before their eyes and they felt their strength return. Nefer-Tina awoke once more, her blue eyes blinking in amazement to find that she still lived.

"Mistress, all is well now," Ehren assured her as she helped the Guardian to stand.

Nefer-Tina shook her head. "No, not all is well, dear Ehren. As long as Nephthys still exists, nothing shall be well. We need to stop her."

"But…How can we do that, Mistress?" Panther Warrior asked.

"Never mind how it will happen. We just need to get to the Kaiba mansion so we can help make sure it does happen," Nefer-Tina told him. She tried to take a step forward, but as she had just recovered her legs were a bit wobbly and she nearly fell on her face. Luckily, Ehren was quick to catch her.

"_I will carry you there, Mistress," _Amazoness Tiger volunteered.

"And I shall hold you steady," Ehren put in.

"All right," Nefer-Tina muttered as she was placed on the tiger's back with Ehren behind her. "We've got no time to waste. Run as fast as you can! Don't hold back for me! Carrie needs us…And so does Karley!"


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"So what do you think Uria wants us to do?" Jessica asked as she roamed the halls of Kaiba's mansion with Mai, Mako, and Armon. The Guardian was with them just in case they needed protection, but so far nothing was screaming danger. It was a precaution that wasn't necessary yet. The living did not argue against it.

Mai shrugged. "I don't know. He's a hard character to follow. He doesn't want us to go outside because he's afraid we might be captured by the guys Nephthys took. He doesn't want us to try doing what Carrie and Karley are doing, either. Maybe it's because he knows nothing of our past lives or if we even had past lives, but I'm tired of standing around without anything to do. I want to help our friends, both the ones under Nephthys's control and the ones trying to save the world. Maybe Uria will give us that chance."

"I doubt it. He doesn't seem to think we can defend ourselves very well," Mako muttered.

"No, it's not that. He just doesn't want you to get involved because he knows how much you all mean to Carrie," Armon remarked.

"But you Guardians mean a lot to her, too, and look what happened to Nefer-Tina," Jessica pointed out. "I know Carrie hasn't cried yet, but that's because she's too busy trying to save the world to let herself grieve. It'll come out as soon as this dark lady is put down, and then you'll see."

Armon nodded once. "It's true…Carrie does care a great deal about us. But unlike you, it is our duty to put our lives on the line to protect her and those she holds in her heart. Neffie knew that going into her final battle…Had she not gone, Karley would probably be in the afterlife now. She made an honorable sacrifice for us, and we may grieve her passing, but it was her duty."

"Duty be damned! Death is still death!" Jessica snapped.

"Jessica, watch your language!" Mai reprimanded. "Look, I know all that's happened in these past twenty-four hours has been a bit much for you to handle…It's been a lot for me, too. But we've got to hold together for the sake of the world. Everything's going to be all right. Carrie and Karley will stop Nephthys in her tracks and then we can go on with our lives."

The pink-eyed girl huffed and looked away from Mai. "People will still be dead, and there's nothing we can do that'll make that better."

"That's true, but I suppose death is an inevitable part of the war of light against dark," Mako put in.

"There are always casualties in war," Armon agreed, glancing at his missing arm.

"…But…I don't want there to be…," Jessica sobbed, and then she burst into tears.

Mai pulled her into her arms and let the younger girl weep into her shirt. Mako and Armon exchanged glances with the woman that said more than words could. Jessica was not ready for something like this. Carrie had known that, which was why she hadn't told her younger sister about the magic and chaos surrounding the Millennium Items and Duel Monsters until she had no choice. Carrie had tried to protect her from all of this, but now she was pulled in without any way to escape. Serenity, too, was not strong enough to face this battle in the war of light versus dark, good versus evil, life versus death. They were so young, so fragile, and they were in a battle they couldn't stand to face.

"…Now I understand…why Serenity was such a mess earlier…," Jessica whimpered. "She saw her brother last night…And she didn't want to face…that he could be so easily used. He…He might end up being a casualty in this whole thing…We all could. How can we…stop that? How can we…keep death from claiming us all?"

"There is a way."

The group turned to see Uria floating in the hallway with Carrie's deck held securely by his tail. His fiery eyes studied them for a moment before he approached them.

"What do you mean?" Mai wanted to know.

"I want you to fight Nephthys's minions," Uria replied.

Everyone just stared at him in shock.

"…What…What the hell are you saying? I want to avoid death, not bring it upon my friends by my own hand!" Jessica exclaimed, lunging at Uria. She almost had her hands around his throat, but the slippery little dragon dodged her at just the right moment and avoided her completely. She fell on her face on the floor. The dark-haired girl flipped back onto her feet, looking pissed and ready to fight despite her tears.

"Restrain her, Armon," Uria ordered calmly.

"Explain what you mean first," Armon countered.

"Disobedience is not in your character, Guardian. I suppose my words have touched a nerve in you as well," Uria assumed as he dodged Jessica again. "Very well. You mortals seem to have jumped to conclusions about my meaning. I shall clarify so you do not hate me any further."

"I'll kill you for even suggesting we fight them!" Jessica shouted, but Mako cut her off before she could try to attack the Sacred Beast.

"Let's hear him our before we turn savage," he muttered through clenched teeth.

"I do not want you to kill your friends. I simply want you to fight them and sever Nephthys's control on them. Death is not necessary for her control to be severed. All that is needed is for her amulet to be destroyed," Uria explained. "You see, she has immense power, but she has never mastered the ability to directly control someone's mind. That is a power only the Millennium Rod and a few high-ranking sorcerers possess. Her way of controlling minds revolves around the amulets your friends have been forced to wear. They bear Nephthys's symbol of eternal fire and the amulets have created a link from her to their minds. It is a clever way of getting around her inexperience, but it is also a huge weakness."

"So you're saying is all we have to do to free them from her mind control is break the amulet," Mai paraphrased. "That seems easy enough."

Uria nodded. "But it shall not be so easy. You may not be willing to attack your friends, but they have no control over themselves. They will attack you with the intent to kill, and they have their Duel Monsters at their disposal. Some might have weak Monsters, like Tristan and Tea, and those like Mokuba don't carry a deck on them. But mark my word. Nephthys would have tampered with the weak ones' decks to make them stronger."

"And you want us to use our Monsters to take care of theirs and free them," Mako assumed.

"Yes, but there is a price to pay for summoning my kind into your world," Uria warned. "Our lives become linked to your body. If we are hurt, you feel our pain. If we die, the pain for you is immense. And if too many of us perish, then…You shall perish, too. You must be wise when summoning Duel Monsters. Make a mistake and it could cost you everything."

"Wingweaver will protect me…She's never failed me," Jessica murmured, fumbling in her pants pocket for her deck and favorite Monster.

"Why do you bring this up now, Lord of Flames? I thought it was our duty to protect these people from the dark ones," Armon remarked.

"These people are capable of protecting themselves. The Guardians are needed to ensure the safety of Karley and Carrie now," Uria stated.

"Demotion!" Jessica teased as she found the Fairy Monster.

Armon glared at her. "Shut up."

"Wingweaver, I summon you! Come help me to save this world without losing my friends or Mokuba!" she pleaded, holding the card up. A bright light came from it, forcing everyone to shield their eyes. When the light faded, a purple-haired seraph Fairy clad in a yellow dress with pinkish skin stood before them, towering above them by about two feet. Her wings touched both the ceiling and the floor, forced to bend because of their size.

Uria anime-dropped. "You weren't supposed to summon her yet! Duel Monsters are much too large to be moving about within human confinements! That's why you wait until you're out of a building or you specify to that Monster that you want them to be smaller than normal when you summon them!"

"Oops…My bad," Jessica apologized. "Wingweaver, could you fold your wings away until we get outta here? And is there any way you could shrink just a little?"

"You weren't even listening to me, were you?" Uria exclaimed.

"What about Serenity? Will she be coming with us?" Mai asked.

"I have visited her in one of Kaiba's basements already. She said nothing. It is up to her if she wants to come. I shall not pressure her and neither will any of you," Uria replied. His gaze shifted to the staircase not far from them and behind the humans, and he frowned with both of his mouths. "It seems that no one listens to me when it comes to summoning my kind into this world!"

Serenity stood at that staircase with St. Joan standing awkwardly behind her. The blonde Fairy knight stood just as tall as Wingweaver, but she had no wings that got in the way. Her long sword was a different story, as she was having trouble holding it in a way that would not hurt anyone or anything. Serenity still looked depressed and red blotches were under her eyes, but it seemed she had made her decision.

"…Let's go rescue my brother," Serenity murmured.

And that's when Slifer roared and the attack began.

* * *

Kaiba sat alone at his home office desk, a mostly empty bottle of liquor sitting in front of him as he looked at the full shot glass in his hand. It wasn't like the dark liquid could tell things to him that he didn't know; all it could do was distort the truth. Before he would have wanted to disappear into its lies—in fact, that was what he had been doing not even ten minutes earlier. But he had had an unexpected visitor that had disrupted his afternoon and now he was wondering far too much.

_The door to his home office had flung open despite being locked, slamming against the wall and startling Kaiba. Liquor splattered onto him as a result, but it was forgotten as something flew into the room with the door closing mysteriously behind it. Whatever it was, it was too short to be seen by Kaiba at the moment. But he could still feel its power, power beyond anything he had felt save the strength of the Egyptian God Monsters. He stood and glanced over his desk only to come face-to-face with a crimson dragon with two mouths and fiery orange eyes._

"_Kaiba, the time has come for you to accept your destiny," the dragon stated._

_The brunette believed himself drunk and hallucinating, though he knew he hadn't taken in that much alcohol yet. He collapsed into his chair and laughed._

"_All right! I'll accept my destiny to pass out right now and wake in a few hours! That's what always happens when I get this drunk!" Kaiba cried hysterically._

"_You're not that intoxicated, Seto Kaiba. It takes more than a bottle of brandy to make you so drunk you begin hallucinating," the dragon remarked knowingly. "You know your limits and how long it takes. You are just trying to dismiss this so you do not have to face the truth of the matter. You know who I am as well. Speak my name, Kaiba."_

"_...You're Uria, Lord of Searing Flames. But you're nothing more than a card. If I'm not hallucinating, how am I seeing you?" Kaiba demanded._

"_Because I am more than just a mere card in a children's card game. I am a Sacred Beast, second only to the Egyptian Gods, and once I was a Fiend God as well. I have been summoned forth to save this world from the clutches of death, and your help is required for this to pass," Uria told him._

_Kaiba waved his hand dismissively. "I think you got the wrong guy. I do not believe in that junk. If you want someone that believes in those Egyptian fairytales, go find the losers I let into my mansion. They'll play along with your little game. Now if you excuse me, I have a company to run."_

"_You are an ignorant fool, Seto Kaiba. You've seen so much and yet you refuse to believe what you have seen. You have trapped yourself within your denial. Priest Seth would not be pleased if he saw who had become. An arrogant, ignorant brat who cares nothing about anything save himself...He is probably turning in disgust in his sarcophagus now as we speak," Uria remarked bitterly._

"_Who are you talking about?" Kaiba wanted to know._

"_Your first life, Priest Seth, wielder of the Millennium Rod in the time of the Nameless Pharaoh and controller of the legendary Blue Eyes White Dragon. He was the Pharaoh's cousin and greatest rival, but also his greatest protector. The vessel of the ka Blue Eyes gave her life to protect him, and he repaid her by taking care of her ka. When the Nameless Pharaoh sealed the darkness and himself away in the Items, Priest Seth became the new ruler in his place, a reluctant position but a necessary one. An honorable man, someone even I have to admire. Too bad you inherited nothing from him beyond your physical features and love of the Blue Eyes," Uria growled._

_Kaiba snorted. "You expect me to believe all of that?"_

"_No, no. You never believe anything that you can't see, even though you've seen so much and still don't believe. But perhaps I can open your eyes," Uria said. His tail flicked slightly in a threatening manner before suddenly moving towards Kaiba._

"_Wait! What are you-?"_

_Kaiba was cut off as Uria's tail shot through his forehead. He felt himself scream in agony, but he also felt the intrusion of Uria's soul into himself. The brunette tried to fight him off, to no avail. He was a mere mortal, and the Dragon was one of the strongest Duel Monsters to ever exist. Kaiba could not have defeated him in a battle of wills._

_Images flashed through the businessman's mind involuntarily, and he saw things he had seen before that he had denied ever happening. The fiasco with Dartz, being trapped in a virtual world because of Noah Kaiba...Marik, Ishizu, and the Millennium Rod and Necklace issues...Pegasus and his accursed Millennium Eye...Carrie and her Millennium Puzzle...Even Ryo Bakura and the Millennium Ring. All the facts came pounding into him in a persistent wave, no longer allowing him to dismiss them as lies. Then he saw himself not as Seto Kaiba, but as a different man in a different time. That life came back to him, though he would have wished for it to never happen._

_He collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath, by the time Uria finally let him go. His blue eyes were wide with a mixture of pain and shock—sweat beaded on him like a second skin. Uria's tail returned to its position behind his body, acting as if it had never forced reality onto anyone._

"_You know who you are, Seto Kaiba," he hissed. "Do not let it be for nothing."_

_When the businessman managed to look up, the dragon was gone as if he had never been._

The images were still reeling through Kaiba's head over and over again, familiar faces within them. It seemed that many of the people around him also had lives back then. Alyssa was there as the priestess Bastet. Yugi was there as the Pharaoh. Tristan was there, even if he had just been a servant that was a friend of Bastet. Carrie was there as the magician Iris. Karley was there as the White Mage Hathor. There were many other people from his present in his past, too. Was it so crazy to accept that it was destiny that brought him to where he was, and it was his destiny to help save the world again?

He slammed his shot glass onto his desk and stood up. "I won't let some ancient Monster push me around! My brother is in trouble and needs me to help him! If the world is saved in the process, then so be it!"

Kaiba pulled his deck from his pocket and briskly walked out of his home office just in time to feel the first attack of the dark side. He braced himself against one of the walls until the trembling stopped before making any moves to go downstairs.

"No one gets away with taking Mokuba and attacking my home without suffering the consequences," Kaiba growled.

* * *

Red Eyes Black Dragon shot another blast at Kaiba's mansion, standing amongst other Duel Monsters while Kaiba's bodyguards tried to shoot them to their demise. Petit Angel came at them with Silver Bow and Arrow, unafraid of them and strong enough to send them running. A darkly cloaked woman commanded her to chase them to their death, and Petit Angel could only follow that command. Cyber Commander, Hand of Nephthys, Rude Kaiser, Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys, and Performance of the Sword were only a few of the Duel Monsters that stood waiting to fight. The only thing keeping them from storming the mansion was the binding word of their masters.

Uria came out with the mortals that were on his side. Slifer shot out an attack to counter Red Eyes', and it seemed the only reason the building had only suffered one hit was because of the Egyptian God's work. Uria took to the sky and became his full size. He would be of more help now.

"Summon your strongest Monsters! Separate them and do what you must to break the amulets!" he ordered.

Troposphere, a Winged Beast Monster with an uncanny resemblance to Ja-Kal, was summoned by the leader of the Guardians. Magician of Black Chaos, a powerful Spellcaster with dark attire, came out for Rath. Phantom Beast Rock-Lizard, a tough Beast-Warrior with rocks for armor and a bad attitude, appeared in front of Armon. Wingweaver and St. Joan came to stand beside them, all ready for battle.

Mai believed in strength in numbers, so she summoned out every Monster in her deck with Harpie in its name. Harpie's Pet Dragon got a big boost in strength as a result. Unfriendly Amazon and Amazoness Chainmaster also came to the field to lend a helping hand. Mako backed her up with Orca Mega-Fortress of Darkness, a giant orca whale Beast equipped for combat. Uria also summoned some of Carrie's stronger Monsters. Gyakutenno Megami, Beast King Barbaros, and Empress Judge came out to play. Now the numbers were about even.

"How do we divide them?" Mai asked.

"I'm not sure. Why don't we just go at them all at once and while our Monsters engage theirs we charge for their amulets?" Mako suggested.

"Sounds like a good plan to me," Jessica stated.

"Don't you dare even think about going into battle without me," Kaiba commanded as he, too, joined the group. All three of his Blue Eyes White Dragons hovered above him, claws glistening brightly in the light. It seemed everyone wanted a piece of the action. Even Kaiba didn't want to miss out.

"What, did you suddenly have a change of heart?" Ja-Kal inquired.

"That bitch Nephthys kidnapped my brother and intends to use him as a weapon against me. I will make her pay for this. These Monsters shall suffer my wrath for daring to come here and attack my home. And then Nephthys shall know there are worse things than death," Kaiba growled. "Apparently being burned alive was not enough for her."

"Wait, you remember that?" Armon asked, amazed.

"Quit being distracted! There's a more pressing matter to attend to!" Rath reminded them.

And then the battle began.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

_Iris sat alone on the edge of the balcony of her room, watching the sun rise on another day. She hadn't been home very long...She could count the weeks on one hand since she had left her isolation. The Prince had been too busy to pay her much attention. Mana was deep into her magic lessons with Priest Mahado. Bastet was a shadowy figure that couldn't be bothered by another's loneliness. Only Teana had any time to spare, and hers was limited due to an illness of her father's. Flowers sat in a vase on a chest in Iris's room, a result from her last visit. They were white irises from the royal garden. Teana had seen them and thought of her blonde friend and even broke the rules to bring them to her._

'_She tries so hard to make me happy. I feel bad because it doesn't work as well as she would like,' Iris thought. Being caught with flowers picked from the royal garden could get her in trouble, but she didn't care. It was a memento from a friend. And the Prince would never allow for her to get in serious trouble. He cared far too much about her to let that happen over a few measly flowers._

_The wind blew through the area, caressing her in a way she had become used to in her isolation. She had had almost no one there...Only her magical tutors and occasionally other students were brought in. She remembered a dark blue-haired person coming once, but that girl only stayed for a month at the most. Iris remembered her name was Nephthys and she was a Black Mage, a group of sorcerers whose magic derived directly from darkness. Her family would have taught her what else there was to learn._

_She would have preferred the company of her White Mage friend then..._

_Iris felt something land in her lap and glanced down to find a strange orange flower lying there, long green stem and all present. She picked it up, studying it for a moment as if that would tell her its origins. A smile broke onto her face when she registered the familiar magic. A friend had come to visit._

"_Greetings, Cow. Tell me, does your light magic always create such beauties unseen by everyone else?" Iris asked, glancing over her shoulder at the brown-haired blue-eyed White Mage that officially went by the name of Hathor._

_Hathor beamed. "Can't say it does, Blossom. I just thought you would like something unique since it appears you like flowers...Especially the irises from the gardens."_

"_I didn't pick those. Teana did because she doesn't like that I am alone most of the time. She is always bringing me jewels of nature," Iris admitted. "I am not worried about being caught. I already covered her tracks with my magic. Other irises have grown in their place." She sniffed the orange flower in her hands. "So...What kind of flower is this, my dear Cow?"_

"_I conjured that from a faraway land that has no wide-known name yet. One day that flower shall be known as a tiger lily," Hathor stated._

_Iris raised an eyebrow. "Why?"_

"_Well, a lily is a species of flower. The reason for it being called a tiger lily is because it's orange like a tiger. Look, it even has stripes...Even though they are just a darker orange than the rest of the flower and less numerous than those on the big cat," Hathor explained. "Let us just say...The people who dwell in that faraway land will be strange with their logic."_

"_I bet they'll be. I bet they will explain rain by saying the sun powers it all when clearly the gods decide when we deserve the rain," Iris agreed._

_Hathor jumped up and took a seat beside Iris on the balcony railing. Her blue eyes fixed on the point where the sun was just starting to come over the horizon. Iris was surprised at the intensity of her friend's stare. When had Hathor become so mature? When had she changed into this person? Had it happened while they were separated by those six years of isolation? Iris wasn't sure, but she had to accept it. Nothing stayed the same, and nothing ever would. It was the way of the world._

"_I like to watch the sunrise," Hathor said suddenly. "It reminds me that the sun shall always come back, no matter how bleak things might seem."_

"_I feel the same," Iris admitted._

"_Blossom, I have something to confess," Hathor told her, closing her eyes for a moment. "...I have become attached to the Prince. There's something about him...It drew me to him in a way I didn't expect. I have started noticing things about him that went unseen before. His deep voice, his mystifying eyes, his muscle tone...and more. He's changed quite a bit over these past few years. I...I think he may have become attached to me, too."_

_Iris was silent, unsure of how to react, but only for a moment. "Then my blessings are yours on your inevitable union."_

"_It's not that easy, Iris. I mean, he has feelings for me, but he has someone else in his heart as well. I do not want to compete with that person because she is a close friend of mine. A feud over our friend would not bode well for anyone."_

"_If it's Teana or Mana, they'll get over it. He will get over it, too, and accept only you."_

_Hathor shook his head. "It's not them. They do not feel for the Prince the way I do nor does he feel that way for them. It is you."_

_Iris's eyes widened. "Me? What makes you say that? We hardly see each other anymore ...And we were separated for so long. He could not have become attached to someone like me. And I could not have become attached to him for the same reasons. We are and always will be friends, nothing more."_

"_You cannot fool me, Blossom. I saw you with him before you were forced to leave. Love bloomed between the two of you, and that was no surprise. You grew up beside each other practically from birth. You shared everything with one another. The adults used to whisper all the time about how the Prince would marry you and you would be queen. You were the Prince's greatest friend...And the intimacy of your relationship could not have been avoided."_

"_...That was six years ago...We were just children..."_

"_Children are wiser than adults give them credit for being. And time matters not. The heart still carries its weight the same. You have been in his heart for so long, as he has been in yours. Do not deny what you know is the truth. You would only be lying to yourself."_

"_...But...I do not want to fight you over him, Hathor."_

"_Nor do I wish to fight. In the end it is his choice who he shall love with all of his heart."_

_An awkward silence befell the magicians as the sun finally rose into the sky. Its warmth did little to comfort them or settle the uneasiness that came with their admission of being attached to the same man. But the wind was there, a familiar companion to one and an old friend to the other, reminding them that no matter what, they would be friends. They were connected in ways that could never be severed. As two of the strongest magicians in Egypt, they had to stand strong...Together._

"_Gods help him if he dares to turn us against each other, Cow," Iris said with a smile._

"_Yes, Blossom," Hathor agreed, a smile of her own appearing. "Gods help us all."_

* * *

"Mokuba, snap out of it!" Jessica cried, grappling with her boyfriend on the ground while their Duel Monsters fought. The others were engaged in battle as they had been for at least thirty minutes, but those thirty minutes felt like hours.

The dark hood that hid Mokuba's face fell away, revealing the changes Nephthys had inflicted upon him. His hair was a different shade of dark blue, his skin was pale white, and his eyes…They were so clouded. Jessica was so shocked by what Nephthys had done that she eased up her grip, a big mistake on her part. Mokuba's hands immediately reached for her throat, clasping around it tightly. She never imagined him having so much strength. His grip had her gasping for breath—oxygen just wouldn't come in. She kicked at him and tried to get his hands from around her throat, but it was like he didn't have any feeling anymore. He didn't even seem affected when one of his Monsters was destroyed. The only sign that it was doing any damage was the blood coming from the corner of his mouth in a steady river. He stood there, choking the life out of his girlfriend without any control over his own actions.

Kaiba came to her rescue, tackling his little brother to the ground and forcing him to let go of Jessica. She fell to her knees, her lungs working hard to get the needed oxygen in. Her pink gaze focused on Kaiba struggling to get at the amulet of Nephthys while Mokuba fought back with strength ten times that he normally possessed. The boy muttered something under his breath in a language no one understood, and suddenly a mass of shadows appeared behind Kaiba. The shadows grabbed Kaiba and threw him away from Mokuba, too far away for Jessica to even hope of breaking his fall. One of his Blue Eyes' was quick enough to get him, fortunately, but he wasn't left unscathed from such a toss.

Determined, Jessica charged at Mokuba again. She grabbed him around the legs, dragging him down to the ground once more before he knew what she was doing. Her hands reached for the sinister red gemstone—her body pressed his to the ground with all her force to keep him from stopping her. He struggled against her weight, but she could make herself heavy if need be. But then he managed to get an arm free and knocked her away. She landed on her back and he hurried to stand over her. He was surprised by what he saw.

The dark-haired girl was smiling.

"Hey, Nephthys. I think you need this to control my boyfriend," she remarked slyly, raising the amulet into view of the boy's clouded eyes. "Next time you wanna go after my sister, don't. Cuz you'll regret it big time." She crushed the amulet with her bare hand, heedless of the shards that could cut her hand or fly into her eye. All she wanted to do was free Mokuba from Nephthys's control.

And she had done that.

The color returned to Mokuba's skin, his hair became its fluffy familiar self, and the clouds disappeared from his beautiful eyes. The pain finally hit him full on and he fell to his knees gasping for air. Jessica held him, tears of joy falling from her eyes as she knelt there. She had saved him. She had prevented him from being a casualty. Absentmindedly, her hands fumbled with the knot holding the dark cloak to him until it was undone, and the wind took the dark thing away.

"Mokuba!" Kaiba exclaimed, his Blue Eyes having taken him to them so he could see his brother. He knelt beside the two younger teenagers, but his blue gaze was focused only on Mokuba. "Are you okay?"

The fluffy-haired boy shook his head. "It hurts so bad, Seto. I…I don't understand this pain…I'm so sorry for hurting you. I wasn't in control. This witch had me under her spell. She…She wanted me to kill you…"

"It's all right, Mokuba. You're free now," Jessica and Kaiba assured him.

The pinked-eyed girl put a hand on his shoulder. "Dismiss your Monsters so the pain won't get any worse."

Mokuba nodded and pulled a couple of cards from his pocket. Jessica knew they weren't his because he wasn't much of a duelist, but like it or not they were attached to him. He held up the cards to the battle and spoke their names. Three Duel Monsters disappeared from the field, returned to their realm of being. Like their temporary master, they were now free.

But the battle was far from over.

Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys suddenly attacked Wingweaver, sending the Fairy careening into the Kaiba mansion. Jessica felt the blow as if it had been dealt to herself; her insides screamed in agony and that scream came tumbling from her throat. She coughed up blood on the ground before the Kaiba brothers as other Monsters jumped on the weakened Wingweaver. Uria and Blue Eyes tried to stop the assault, but they weren't quick enough. The pink seraph Fairy was destroyed.

With her destruction, Jessica's eyes rolled to the back of her head before closing. Her body fell forward into her own blood to be stained crimson, becoming like a corpse.

"Jessie!" Mokuba cried, grabbing the front of her shirt and shaking her as if that would make her respond. "Jessie!"

"…I don't understand…How could the death of one Monster do this to her?" Kaiba murmured as he watched his brother cry over the still form of his enemy's sister. He looked up at Uria for answers, but the crimson Dragon was engaged and could not be bothered. The memories of Priest Seth served him here. Usually a person would survive if just one Monster was destroyed. But if their life force was strongly attached to a certain Monster, then their destruction could be more painful, deadly even.

_Jessica was very fond of Wingweaver. That Fairy was the only Monster she summoned, _Kaiba thought. _Perhaps it's possible that her life force was greatly attached to that creature. That would mean...Jessica's dead._

Thinking it made his heart drop into his stomach. Kaiba hadn't really been fond of the dark-haired girl—she was a lot like her sister in ways that irked him. But she was also her own person and treated him respectfully most of the time. Somehow Mokuba had managed to develop feelings for her and they had started dating behind their siblings' backs. Kaiba had given them his blessing despite her relations; he didn't understand why then. But now he knew. Seeing her fight to free Mokuba, trying to get through to him without hurting him, and finally breaking that accursed amulet, he had realized why.

Jessica was a girl who would stand by Mokuba's side forever. She would give everything to keep him safe, no matter what it cost her.

And it just might have cost her everything.

* * *

Serenity gasped as Red Eyes sent another attack into St. Joan, feeling weak in the knees but refusing to let herself fall. She stared down the person that she knew to be her brother. She would know him anywhere even if he was cloaked in black. His eyes were hidden in the hood of his cloak—she could only see his nose and jaw. But that was enough for her to know his identity. His Monsters came after her and only her, and St. Joan was taking all the blows in her place. The Fairy knight was bruised and cut all over; blood flowed freely from open wounds. It wouldn't be long before she would be destroyed.

It didn't help that Tristan and Duke's Duel Monsters were gaining up on her as well.

But it wasn't like she was alone in this battle, either. Mai wanted to free Joey almost as much as she did, and it was because of the blonde woman that St. Joan hadn't been destroyed yet. Her Harpies and Amazoness Warriors were there as backup. When one Harpie fell, another would take her place. Fallen Harpies had their affect on Mai, but she was a strong woman and could take it.

Harpie's Pet Dragon grappled with Red Eyes directly, surrounded by many of her mistresses for a boost to her attack strength. The other Harpies flocked to protect St. Joan from an attack from Cyber Commander and Hand of Nephthys. Amazoness Chainmaster pulled the female enemy down with her chain; Unfriendly Amazon lent her strength to keep her there. Hand of Nephthys struggled, but if she did so too much her neck would be sliced by Unfriendly Amazon's sword. Harpie's Brother descended on Cyber Commander and pinned him to the ground with his claws at the Monster's throat.

Tristan and Duke knelt on the ground, but somehow Joey managed to stand strong.

Serenity and Mai rushed at Joey, tackling him to the ground with their combined weight. His hood fell back to reveal the same changes had been done to him. Blue hair, pale skin, sinister but clouded orchid eyes…And braided hair? There was little time to think about that, though—they had to destroy his amulet. Serenity got one hand on it and so did Mai before the possessed Joey pushed them away. The brunette girl went flying, skidding on the ground until she finally came to a stop. She looked at her hand to find that half of the amulet was there. The other half resided with Mai or Joey.

"I have to destroy this," Serenity whispered as she staggered to her feet.

She dropped the half-amulet and stomped it to pieces.

"Mai! Destroy your half!" Serenity shouted, turning in the direction that the blonde had been thrown.

But Mai had no half-amulet. It had remained around Joey's throat, and therefore left Nephthys with some control over the blonde boy. His eyes returned to brown and his skin became almost normal, but it was too much to hope for that he was himself. Serenity felt tears coming and quickly bit her tongue. She wasn't going to cry. She was going to rescue her brother and everyone else that was under Nephthys's spell.

"Joey! Listen to me! It's Serenity! You've got to destroy that amulet around your neck!" she cried as Mai moved towards him again.

"I…have to…get the Items and kill…," Joey mumbled, seeming lost in his own head.

Mai took advantage of his confusion to rip the amulet from him, but before she could destroy it Red Eyes struck. The black Dragon destroyed enough Harpies to lower Harpie's Pet Dragon's power to do some damage. The blonde woman doubled over in pain as her Monster was attacked, dropping the half-amulet in the process. Her Amazonesses rushed to the Dragon's aid, but it would do her little good right now.

"My amulet…," Joey murmured, moving forward to get it.

"No!" Serenity screamed, lunging for it and securing it in her grip before he could get it.

"…That belongs to me…Give it back or else…," the semi-possessed Joey ordered.

The brunette shook her head furiously, distancing herself from him without getting up. "I can't, Joey! It's evil! It's controlling you and making you want to hurt us! To hurt me! Please! Don't you see? You've been through this once before! Marik controlled you, turned you against your friends! Nephthys is doing the same! Don't you see, Joey?"

Joey blinked and ceased to move towards her. "…Marik used the Millennium Rod…"

"And Nephthys uses these amulets," Serenity insisted while she climbed to her feet a safe distance from Joey. "You know that, don't you? Can you not feel her in your mind right now?"

"…Intruder…in my head…," Joey said.

"That's right, Big Brother." Serenity dropped the half-amulet and raised her foot. "And now I'll save you from that intruder."

She stomped down on the amulet, destroying the whole thing at last. Joey returned to normal, except his hair was still braided. He fell forward, but Serenity caught him and slowly lowered him to the ground beside Mai. The blonde woman had recovered enough to sit up because Red Eyes was no longer attacking her Monsters. She smiled half-heartedly at the Wheeler siblings, looking like total crap but making total crap look good at the same time.

"Guys…I'm so sorry…I didn't know what I was doing," Joey apologized. "Nephthys had me whipped. She sent us all to collect the Millennium Items and kill Carrie and Karley. And anyone that got in our way was also supposed to die. She's one tough lady, that witch Nephthys."

"If she's so tough, why do you have dreads?" Mai teased.

"Nyeh? Whatcha talking about, Mai?" Joey asked. Then he felt the top of his head and got his answer. "Holy crap! That crazy lady _braided_ my hair! Oh, for the love of all things chocolate! Why would she braid Joey Wheeler's handsome locks! I just hope Tristan and Rich Boy don't see this…"

"Well, they're both a little tied up right now to be worrying about your hair," Serenity pointed out, referring to Tristan fighting Mai's Monsters and Kaiba being in a battle against his little brother.

"Good point," Joey muttered. "Mai, tell your Chainmaster to watch out!"

The Amazoness Warrior did not act fast enough to avoid a blow from Cyber Commander, who had managed to worm his way from under Harpie's Brother. Amazoness Chainmaster was struck lethally, shattering out of existence. Mai doubled over once more and coughed up blood. Unfriendly Amazon cut Cyber Commander on the shoulder in an attempt to avenge her fallen comrade without killing. He managed to get away before any real damage could be done.

"Mai, dismiss the rest of your Monsters," Serenity pleaded. "You can't take any more of their pain. Remember what Uria said. If too many of them perish, you will perish, too."

The blonde woman said nothing, but she did dismiss what remained of her Harpies and their Dragon as well as Unfriendly Amazon. Joey did the same, seeing as his Monsters had caused so much damage. St. Joan came to stand beside them, still battered but ready to fight. Serenity glanced over at the two cloaked figures that were Tristan and Duke. A plan was forming in her head, one that needed to be carried out quickly.

Without exchanging a word with her brother or her Monster, she climbed onto St. Joan's back, wrapping her legs tightly around her torso.

"Serenity, what are you doing?" Joey demanded, but she didn't answer.

St. Joan took to the skies, heading straight for Tristan and Duke. Their Monsters moved in to protect their masters, ready to end St. Joan's life. Serenity dropped from the Fairy's back as they came; they did not see her because they were too focused on the larger threat. She fell between the two boys that crushed on her, landing on one knee. Her arms flew up towards their necks, and she pulled their amulets off in one fluid motion. Their destruction followed shortly thereafter. Tristan and Duke returned to normal.

"Thanks. You saved us, Serenity," Tristan remarked with a grin before he saw her. Then his expression immediately changed. "Serenity!"

Their Monsters had destroyed St. Joan in her weakened state. Serenity fell forward onto the ground, weakened by her Duel Monster's destruction. She was still conscious, but just barely. Duke and Tristan knelt beside her, worried beyond words for her well-being and feeling a tad bit guilty for having been responsible for her current state. Joey screamed her name from where he remained with Mai, tears falling from his eyes when there was no response.

Nephthys had done it again…

* * *

Performance of the Sword and Soul Tiger charged with Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys at Orca Mega-Fortress of Darkness. Phantom Beast Rock-Lizard hit the ground hard, making mini-mountains appear to block them from hurting the giant whale Monster. Mako and Armon were working together to bring down Alyssa and Tea; Kaiba lent his support by leaving two of his Blue Eyes' to add to the fire power. Petit Angel stood by her mistress, shooting off arrows constantly to keep them on their toes.

"We have to get past that pesky fur ball to remove their amulets," Mako stated while he watched the Monsters battle. "I could summon Great White to take her down, but I don't know how much damage that would do to Tea. She still has control over Sacred Phoenix, but at the rate our creatures are fighting, that Monster might not be around that much longer, either. We don't want to hurt our friends…"

"No, we don't," Armon agreed. "I could always pin Petit Angel down myself."

"Are you strong enough to do that?" Mako asked.

"I'm stronger than your average human or mummy. And it's not like Petit Angel is that powerful of a Duel Monster, with or without Silver Bow and Arrow. Even if Nephthys gave her a power boost, I think I could take her."

"Do not underestimate the Fairy," Gyakutenno Megami warned, coming to stand with them from out of thin air. She had been in battle, that much was immediately apparent. Many bruises littered her green-tinted skin, but she still looked very strong. She carried the Silver Bow and Arrow as well, along with her staff weapon she usually used in combat situations. Her dark eyes were fixated on Petit Angel. "I see much power in her, power she did not possess before. Nephthys has made her into a Duel Spirit just as powerful as myself. You could not bring her down, Guardian Armon. It would be suicide."

"Then…What are we supposed to do?" Armon wanted to know.

"Leave her to me. Once I have her distracted, you may come at her mistress as well as Performance of the Sword's. Erase their amulets from existence quickly. Fortress of Darkness and Phantom Beast cannot hold off their foes for much longer," Gyakutenno Megami told them.

Then the green-haired Fairy ran towards Petit Angel, pale green dress swirling around her legs in response to her speed. The pink ball Fairy shot arrows in retaliation, but Gyakutenno tossed her staff—pointed end first—to disturb their flow. Petit Angel flew quickly to avoid being impaled before continuing her arrow barrage. Gyakutenno Megami dodged them with ease and grace only a Duel Monster could possess and used her own bow to deliver her own arrow barrage. The difference in their attacks was the taller Fairy had more accurate aim. Petit Angel couldn't dodge and shoot at the same time, either. She was put on the run to avoid being hurt. Gyakutenno Megami pursued.

Without that fur ball to get in their way, Mako and Armon charged for Tea and Alyssa. Soul Tiger sensed the danger to his mistress and tried to come to her protection, but he was greeted by the lion-headed Beast King Barbaros. To get through that great Beast would be difficult. Soul Tiger might be controlled by the dark, but he was not stupid. He backed off and reluctantly resumed battling beside the Sacred Phoenix and Performance of the Sword.

The women uttered spells under their breath just as Mako and Armon grabbed their amulets, and suddenly the men found they couldn't move their bodies. Tea grasped Mako by the wrist, the pressure greater than anything he had ever felt before, and tossed him to the ground. Alyssa simply grabbed Armon by the throat to strangle the life out of him. Tea continued to beat the daylights out of Mako. They couldn't move and were therefore powerless to save themselves.

Empress Judge appeared out of nowhere, Axe of Despair in hand, and used the hilt of her weapon to knock the women away from the paralyzed men. Her royal purple dress moved in the wind as she stared down the possessed people with her crimson eyes, her lips moving to break the spell that held her allies captive. Mako and Armon struggled to stand, weakened but not out of the fight. The red-haired Warrior could not wait for them to recover. She lunged at Alyssa first, destroying the amulet with her Axe in the blink of an eye, before moving for Tea. The brunette women fell to their knees, free from Nephthys's control at last, though the pain of it managed to wrap some shackles around them for now.

"Soul Tiger, watch over your mistress. You do the same, Petit Angel," Empress Judge commanded as her sister Gyakutenno came to her side with the other Fairy. "We must return to battle. One more foe remains to be put down, and he is the strongest of all. Come, Megami. Come, Beast King. Mako, you and Guardian Armon must come too."

"Who do we have left to defeat?" Mako asked.

"Solomon Muto…And Exodia the Forbidden One," Gyakutenno Megami replied.

* * *

Uria didn't know how Nephthys had gotten all five pieces of Exodia, but somehow she had…And now her minion Grandpa Muto was using it against them. The old man had not summoned him until the appearance of so many Duel Monsters on the side of good had occurred. His side's Monsters were dwindling, but even so, if Exodia remained triumphant, it wouldn't matter.

Ja-Kal and Rath were unconscious. They had done everything within their power to weaken Exodia, but Troposphere and Magician of Black Chaos had met their unfortunate end, as had every other Monster they summoned in response to such a threat. Now Gyakutenno Megami, Empress Judge, and Beast King Barbaros were returning to help bring down the Forbidden One with Orca Mega-Fortress of Darkness and Phantom Beast Rock-Lizard, but they were all battle-worn. Slifer and Uria were having trouble handling the beast, and they were God Monsters. What could they do to change the winds of this battle?

Then he saw Mako summon Red Archery Girl, a small insignificant mermaid that would go unnoticed by Exodia. He climbed inside her clamshell with her before it closed tight; Uria also noticed that Mako had handed Fortress of Darkness's card over to Armon prior to this, giving control over to the Guardian. This proved that even the fisherman believed he was taking a big risk. The giant clamshell moved past the giant Duel Monster of legend without Exodia so much as looking down at it. It helped that he was distracted by the attacks of other Monsters and having to fight them.

Grandpa noticed the clamshell when it was right in front of him, but by then it was too late to make a difference.

Mako and Red Archery Girl grabbed him and pulled him into the clamshell with them, closing it so the possessed old man was trapped.

Exodia turned and looked at the Monster, finally aware of the danger his master was in. Uria smirked. The great beast was facing a dilemma. In order to rescue his master, he would have to attack Red Archery Girl's clamshell protection, something a Monster of his caliber would easily be able to do successfully. But if he did that, his master might be destroyed in the process. Even he wouldn't take risk so great.

"We have him now…," Uria murmured to himself.

But he had been wrong before.

Exodia's hand went flying down in the direction of Red Archery Girl. Uria ordered the Monsters in his command to stop that attack, and Armon did the same. They were all strong, but Exodia was one of the strongest Duel Monsters known to man. They were able to slow down his punch, but not stop it. The rest was up to Mako and Red Archery Girl. Those two would have to destroy the amulet, and then Grandpa Muto would have to dismiss Exodia.

A shattering sound echoed from within the clamshell moments before Exodia disappeared from this realm of existence…And just in time. A second later and those three would have been flattened into bloody, pulpy pancakes. The shell opened and out fell a tired Grandpa and a weak Mako bearing new battle scars from the old man's attempts to stop him from shattering the amulet. Uria breathed a sigh of relief, feeling the worst was finally over.

Fat chance.

Suddenly, swords of light surrounded all the Duel Monsters, preventing them from moving. Uria swore and glanced up at who he knew had done this.

"Immortal one!" he hissed.

Mirage smirked. "You didn't expect me to just stay down after our last encounter, did you? Someone had to ensure that the mission was carried out. I knew you guys would win, never doubted it for a second. So I had to come and finish things…And make sure you guys wouldn't get in the way."

"You won't be able to kill Carrie and Karley…They're well-guarded," Uria growled.

"Fine by me. I don't want to kill them, anyway," Mirage stated as she landed on the balcony of one of the Kaiba mansion's many rooms.

"…You don't?"

"No. That's what Nephthys wants. She sees them as threats to our mission. Pathetic wench. Just because she's more powerful than me, she thinks I should carry out her orders like an obedient little servant. Well, I won't. I'm just going to get the Millennium Items for Thief and then I'll be gone," Mirage told him.

"…You want Carrie and Karley to defeat Nephthys, don't you?" Uria asked.

The dark spirit did not answer, but her silence was enough of a response. She disappeared into Kaiba's mansion only to reappear moments later with the duffel bag containing the Items slung over her shoulder. A grim smile was on her lips, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. She waved at everyone before taking to the sky once again.

"Nephthys should have the Key from Shadi by now. The Swords of Revealing Light will release you all within a few minutes. Nephthys will be heading for the place where the Millennium Items were created. It is there she must go if she is to bring about the death of the world. If you want to stop her, you must hurry," Mirage urged.

And then she was gone.

* * *

Nephthys swore as she felt the last of her minions at Kaiba's mansion slip away from her control. She thought she had made them strong enough to complete her mission, but they had failed. Mirage had predicted as much, which only angered her further. And to top it off, no one had died. Not a single enemy had passed into the abyss of death. They were only injured. Injuries such as theirs would not lead them into the arms of her goddess.

In her frustration, she sent away all her other minions that were the family of the others. Only Yugi remained with her—she did not want to give up the reincarnation of the Nameless Pharaoh no matter what. Thief did not approve of such attachment, but he did not voice this. Nephthys was acting peculiar and he did not want to turn her anger on himself, considering how much stronger she was in comparison. Yugi sat like a doll on the couch beside the white-haired thief, motionless and not in control of himself. Thief wondered what was going through that boy's mind, but did not want to find out firsthand.

Mirage appeared minutes later, a duffel bag on her shoulder.

"Here are the Necklace, Rod, Scales, Eye, and Puzzle," the dark-haired woman muttered, dropping the bag at Nephthys's feet. "I hope you weren't just sitting there the whole time I was gone. And what the hell have you done to Yugi's hair? It looks like it was run over by an iron and then eaten by a weed-whacker."

"I just flattened it and put it into dreads," Nephthys growled. "But never mind that. I retrieved the Millennium Key from that fool Shadi." She pulled said Item from her sleeve and tossed it into the bag with the others. "All that's left is the Millennium Ring."

"It shall be removed when it is necessary," Thief commented.

"No. It shall be removed now!" Nephthys yelled, her eyes turning completely purple. She lifted her hand; a powerful blast of magic shot from it towards her former master. It hit him square in the forehead and he slumped down in his seat. Only difference was there were two of him now…Thief and Ryo had been separated. The Ring fell from them, clattering to the floor. Nephthys used her magic to bring all the Millennium Items to herself.

"What are you doing?" Mirage demanded, enraged by the assault on Thief.

"I am the servant of no one. Neither you nor Thief shall order me around any further. I need neither of you," Nephthys stated as she stood. "But you two have served me well. I plan on letting you live until death takes this whole world."

"You shall not leave this room alive!" Mirage snapped, sending her Shadow magic at the blue-haired woman in an attempt to kill, or at least harm, her.

Nephthys deflected it with a flick of her wrist. Then she shot her own attack at Mirage, sending the dark-haired woman to the floor twenty feet from where she had been standing. Her body lay still on the ground, no longer able to move. Thief, though still weakened from what Nephthys had done to him, screamed her name and rushed over to her side.

"What an ignorant fool…," Nephthys muttered before glancing over her shoulder at her last minion. "Come with me, Yugi. It's time for the world to die. Then you and I shall reign supreme over the dead. How ironic it shall be, that the reincarnation of the very man that tried to stop the end of the world shall be there to help it end five thousand years later with his old foe at his side."

With the Millennium Items on her shoulder now, Nephthys and Yugi disappeared. Ryo blinked, unsure of what was going on but knowing it wasn't good. Thief picked Mirage up bridal style and stood, bitter tears coming down his face. The dark-haired woman had no heartbeat—that wasn't uncommon because she had tried to kill herself so many times before to end her suffering. The pain of the world always made her heart beat again. But it wasn't doing so now. Nephthys had done something to Mirage that stopped her from coming back. Thief laid her body down on the couch next to Ryo, who quickly jumped up when he realized that was a _dead_ body. The dark spirit knelt next to his lover's body and buried his face in the couch, his hands grasping her lifeless one.

"…Nephthys will pay for this…!" he hissed. "I swear it!"


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Carrie's eyes flashed open, glowing gold and brighter than light. She had tapped into Iris's long-lost power; she could feel it coursing through her veins, pulsing with energy she had only ever felt before when Mirage was in control of her body. It felt incredible. But she didn't have time to waste. She had to save the world by defeating Nephthys with the help of Karley. There was no way of knowing how long she had been in that room. At least the world hadn't been killed yet. But there was still the chance that it was about to be, and so she had to act fast.

The door opened without her touching it, and the Winged Dragon of Ra was released from his protective duty of her. His card fell away from the door into her hand as the God Monster returned to his realm. Carrie glanced over to Karley's room where the girl had just emerged as well, holding Obelisk the Tormentor's card in her hand. Karley was almost unrecognizable. Her hair had changed to the color of her first life—brown—and her eyes were glowing white. She commanded the magic of a White Mage, usually meant for healing and purification. But even that sort of magic could be used as a weapon when the need arose. Turtle Tiger stood behind the girl, staring at them both as if they were strangers. It seemed even he hadn't expected them to be so powerful.

"How do you feel?" Carrie asked as she came to Karley's side.

"Tired and hungry," Karley admitted, handing Obelisk over to his rightful owner. "But this power…It overshadows it all. As does all the memories I have finally managed to regain."

Carrie smiled. "I'm glad to hear your memory has recovered. Who are you, my friend?"

"I am Hathor's fourth reincarnation, but not cursed as you are to die at about the same time with every life. My name is Karley Usagi, of eighteen years of age. I had a professor for a father and a physicist for a mother, and their names were Jack Usagi and Maria Yukiko. They loved me very much. I graduated high school at age fifteen because of them, and I learned many things I wish I didn't. People wanted me for my sharp mind, and in the end it cost me everything," Karley recalled, tears rolling from her pure white eyes. "I knew what kind of danger I'd be in if I retained that knowledge, so…I told my mother to wipe my mind. I'm the reason I couldn't remember anything. And my parents paid the price for having me."

"Don't look at it like that, Karley. Your parents loved you and didn't want any of that to go down. You're not to blame for what happened to them. Those people that came after you are," Carrie told her, wrapping a comforting arm around her friend's shoulders. "Just remember the good times—it'll be better then. But we have a job to do now to ensure that all those memories weren't regained for nothing."

"All right," Karley sniffed, regaining her composure.

"I do have one more question before we go," Carrie said. "Why did you say your last name was Raine?"

Karley laughed. "Oh, that. Well, I really like the rain, and all I could remember was my first name. That doesn't get you very far in the world, does it? So I gave myself a last name. Rain with an e tacked onto the end. It worked well enough."

"Yeah, and it's definitely more creative than mine. West has got to be one of the lamest last names in the English world. Only Smith could top it," Carrie agreed.

The magic-wielding girls ran down the steps of the Kaiba mansion to the first floor. They were surprised by the lack of people in the place. In fact, the large house seemed completely deserted. Where were their friends? Where was Kaiba for that matter? And why did it look like this place had been attacked? What had happened while they were inside themselves? Had Nephthys struck, killed them all, and took all the Millennium Items? Were they bordering on too late?

These answers were given as soon as they stepped out the front door of the Kaiba mansion. Their friends were scattered amongst the front lawn, some of them with their summoned Duel Monsters by their side. The Swords of Revealing Light had faded, but some people were too injured to move or dismiss their creatures. Carrie looked at each one of them, taking information from their minds as she did so because her magic made her highly sensitive to that kind of stuff. Then she saw the still body of her sister lying in front of the Kaiba brothers…And she lost it.

Before she could think about it, she charged straight over to the place where Jessica lay in what seemed like eternal slumber. Mokuba was weeping on the ground next to her, too lost in his own grief to notice Carrie's approach. Kaiba, however, glanced up and was surprised by the changes he saw in her. She didn't pay him any heed beyond seeing the few tears in his eyes. Her sister was more important.

"What happened to her?" she demanded, trying to keep her feelings in check.

"Wingweaver…was destroyed by one of Nephthys's Monsters," Kaiba replied. His grip on Jessica's limp hand became tighter—he hadn't wanted to be the bringer of bad news, especially when it came to this girl. "Her life force was…greatly attached to that Fairy. Its destruction was too much for her. I fear that…she's…"

Carrie closed her eyes and shook her head furiously. "No…It can't be true…She can't be dead. Nephthys was after me and Karley and the Items. Why would she attack you?"

"We were in the way," Kaiba murmured. "We had to be dealt with."

"The death of one Duel Monster…It couldn't be enough to kill her," Carrie whispered, trying to keep back her tears and failing miserably. "It's not fair, Seto…She's been through too much to die so early…It should be me that's dead. I'm the one Nephthys really wanted…"

"Don't talk like that. You and Karley are the only hope for the rest of us. If you died, then the rest of the world would die with you," Kaiba morosely pointed out.

Carrie lowered her head as liquid gold tears began to flow. Kaiba released her sister's hand and encompassed his rival in his arms. She didn't shy away or swat him off; rather, she preferred to bury her face in his shirt while her tears fell. It felt strange to have his greatest rival crying in his arms. Even her tears seemed to have some sort of magic in them, for as they dampened his shirt he felt something powerful seeping into his skin. It was as if her tears were healing his wounds from previous battles. Would they be enough to bring the dead back to life?

"She's not dead," Karley said suddenly, now standing by their side.

Kaiba shot her a look. "Of course she is. She has no pulse. This is no time to be playing games, Karley."

"Nor am I playing games, Kaiba. Her pulse is too frail for you to find, but as a White Mage I can sense the life in her," Karley shot back. "You know I know what I am talking about. Uria forced you to remember and accept your past life as Priest Seth. If I say Jessica is still alive, then alive she is."

"…Can you…heal her?" Mokuba and Carrie asked.

Karley nodded. She knelt down next to Jessica's body and rested her hands on the girl's chest. Her glowing white eyes closed to the world, granting her the chance to have absolute focus. Her white magic flowed from her palms into Jessica's body, undoing all the damage that was caused by Wingweaver's destruction. In a matter of speaking, she had undone the damage of death. When she was satisfied that Jessica would be well off, her eyes opened again and her magic ceased its flow. She removed her hands just as Jessica's pink eyes fluttered open.

"…Did we win…?" she mumbled, completely clueless.

"JESSICA! YOU'RE ALIVE!" Carrie and Mokuba chorused as they glomped the little West child in their excitement to see her alive again.

Kaiba chuckled. "If you're not careful, you might hug the life out of her."

"Oh no!" Carrie and Mokuba exclaimed, releasing her so she could breathe.

"There are many others here that are injured," Karley remarked, her white eyes scanning her friends and taking in their injuries. "I could heal them, but it would take time. And I don't see Yugi anywhere. Why would Nephthys send all of her minions to attack us but keep him with her? I mean, he's in the image of the Nameless Pharaoh, the guy she hated with every fiber of her being."

"It doesn't make any sense," Carrie agreed.

"Carrie, you must not dawdle here a moment longer," Uria stated, flying directly above her and the others. "Nephthys has the seven Millennium Items now. She is on her way to Egypt as we speak. If she makes it to the tablet where the Items originated and releases Zork upon this world, death will ensue. We must hurry if we are to stop her."

"Gee, thanks for including me, you overgrown lizard," Karley grumbled.

"You know you're important," Uria growled, lowering his tail to the ground. "Climb on, both of you, and let's go. We have to be in Egypt in time to confront Nephthys and defeat her."

"What's with all this we crap? Karley and I gonna be doing all the work, not you," Carrie pointed out.

Uria groaned. "Just get on already!"

Carrie exchanged glances with Karley and shrugged before scurrying up the long crimson tail. Karley followed her, and Turtle Tiger followed them both. Climbing was a bit difficult for him, but it helped that he had claws to dig into the Sacred Beast's tail. Uria didn't very much appreciate that, though. He would just have to get over it. The blonde dismissed Slifer and reclaimed her deck from her mount before reaching his neck with Karley. She instructed her friend, who she assumed had never flown on a Dragon before, to be prepared to hold on tight. She didn't give the same directions to Turtle Tiger because he had claws…and teeth.

"You're not going anywhere without me."

Everyone turned to see double. Thief and Ryo had suddenly appeared on the scene, the former looking pissed and the latter looking sad. Something had happened, but neither Carrie nor Karley could determine what from reading either's mind. Ryo was clueless and Thief was an expert at guarding his mind. But they had a feeling it had something to do with Mirage.

"Shouldn't you be heading to Egypt with your evil entourage?" Joey shouted.

Thief's blood thirsty gaze turned on him, sending shivers down his spine and making him hide within the dark cloak that was still on him. The white-haired spirit turned back to the two people that really mattered. These impudent humans didn't matter now. Their purpose had been fulfilled. The only two people that stood in Nephthys's way now were people once in his time—Iris and Hathor reincarnate.

"Nephthys betrayed us. She took all of the Items for herself and separated Ryo and myself. Mirage tried to stop her, but…My former servant was too powerful for her. That witch attacked her with just one spell…And she killed the immortal one." His hands clenched into fists so tight that his nails bit into his skin as his body trembled with rage. "How could she have killed an immortal that lives as long as pain exists? I don't know. But I swear…She will pay for what she has done! No one double-crosses Bakura and kills his heart without suffering the consequences! She will die!"

Carrie was taken aback by what Thief had revealed to her. Mirage had been unable to die—that was why she had the title of the immortal one. The world's pain kept her alive. How could Nephthys have changed that? Mirage had been a part of Carrie for so long… And now that she was dead, it felt like a part of her had died as well. How much worse was this pain for Thief, who had loved the immortal one with every part of his sinister heart? She couldn't begin to imagine it. Would it be so bad if she let him tag along to exact his revenge?

"All right…If you promise not to kill anyone but Nephthys," Carrie muttered.

"Ryo, you stay here with the others," Thief ordered. "I've already lost one person today. I don't want to risk losing you as well. You are my hikari and have been a part of me for years now. Your death would drive me mad…More so than I already am."

The light-haired Brit looked at his counterpart in surprise. "I…didn't know you cared."

A nerve throbbed in Thief's head. "Of course I care! But don't you let it get to your head! If you get in my way while I'm fulfilling my mission I will not hesitate to hurt you! Understand, Ryo Bakura?"

Ryo gulped and nodded more out of fear than anything else. Thief grumbled something under his breath about how useless emotions were as he turned his back on his hikari and started walking towards Uria's lowered tail. He locked eyes with Carrie, and despite the obvious differences, he couldn't help but be reminded of his deceased lover. He bit his tongue to keep the tears back. Enough of that had happened as it was. This was no time for tears.

It was time for revenge.

"Don't forget about me! I want a piece of the action!"

Karley nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the voice. She spun around in her seat to witness the arrival of Nefer-Tina and her Duel Monsters. Turtle Tiger looked with her—neither could believe their eyes. Not even a day ago, they thought they had witnessed her death. But there she was, in the flesh with Lady Panther, Panther Warrior, Amazoness Tiger, and Ehren the Lightsworn Monk. She was lacking her mask for some reason, but otherwise she looked just as Karley had last seen her. The mummy smiled and waved when she saw her new friend as Amazoness Tiger came to a stop just in front of Uria's tail. Her blue eyes were shining brightly with fierce determination. No one would stop her from getting what she wanted now. Karley found herself crying in joy to see that the mummy had made it after all.

Armon was the only other conscious Guardian. He was overcome with his own joy; even from her distance Karley could see the tears in his purple eyes as he bear-hugged her right off of Amazoness Tiger. He spun her around several times and probably would have never let her go unless she had whispered something about not being able to feel her legs. She dismissed all of her Duel Monsters save Ehren; without waiting for any word of confirmation, she climbed right up after Thief onto Uria with the Lightsworn Monk. The white-haired mummy maneuvered her way around Thief so that she was sitting right behind Karley and Turtle Tiger with Ehren right beside her.

"You remember everything now. I'm glad to see you've unlocked your power," Nefer-Tina remarked with a smile.

"…It's all thanks to you. Had you not come last night to save me from Nephthys, I wouldn't be here to save the world. And I wouldn't know who I am and who I was. All that I am now, I owe to you," Karley said. She pulled Turtle Tiger's card out of her pants pocket and held it out for Nefer-Tina to take. "Here. He's been a very loyal protector in your absence. Please take him back. He belongs to you."

Nefer-Tina smiled as she scratched Turtle Tiger behind the eyes. "He did belong to me, but now I want him to be yours. Keep the card, Karley. His heart is linked to you. Consider him the first Duel Monster that shall be in your deck. They're more than weapons to be used in duels, you know. They're companions when no one else is there for you."

Karley gave her a grim smile as she returned the card to her pocket. "You have no idea."

Without much warning, Uria surged into the sky. He believed too much time had been wasted on unexpected company, and if they had stayed any longer, everyone might have wanted to come to Egypt with them. The people were left clinging to his body as he went straight into the clouds. When he evened out again, Thief looked green and had to get rid of his lunch. He didn't think he'd feel right until he was on solid ground again…But Mirage's death demanded vengeance. Even if he was ill, he would take Nephthys down.

With Carrie and Karley's help, of course.

* * *

Nephthys dismissed her Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys as she came to stand in the sands of her homeland with Yugi just as the sun was swallowed by darkness. She had left the carrying of the Items to him, and through her connection to him she could hear the Nameless Pharaoh calling to the boy from the Puzzle, trying to get him to come to his senses. But her power was unbreakable as long as her amulet remained around his throat. The Nameless Pharaoh could beg and plead all he wanted. It would do nothing.

She took Yugi's hand in hers and led him towards the place where the Millennium Items had been created. The tablet shaped like a sarcophagus was kept hidden underground, perhaps lost to the people of these modern times. Nephthys hoped for nothing—hope was a petty thing humans believed in. If people were guarding the tablet, they would meet their end slightly earlier than the rest of the world. Death would consume this world before sunrise. No pathetic mortals would stop her from making this come to pass.

The duo headed down the steps that led underground. Just looking at where they were brought back memories to Nephthys. This place had gone mostly unchanged since her time. The turns were just as she remembered and would lead her straight to the forbidden room where the tablet was kept. But she was not so overcome by the realization of her mission that she would fail to notice the signs of recent life in this place. She sensed this place had become the home of the clan that was destined to await the return of the Nameless Pharaoh and serve him. They had lived most of their lives underground, away from the world. A pathetic way to live. There was no life in it at all, awaiting the return of a dead man.

Traps and ambush were more than certain, but they would not stop Nephthys. She was too powerful to be taken out by things so much weaker. She proceeded forward without any fear or doubt. Those were pathetic human feelings, anyway. She had outgrown them the very day she had been burned alive and had become truly immortal.

Poison needles, flames, and trap doors were just a few of the many things the Black Mage encountered on her way to the tablet. She overcame them all with a combination of her magic and her cloak, which was woven from material that could not be destroyed. She protected Yugi as well, for he did not deserve to die so early. At least, not yet. The traps seemed hastily made yet accurate, but what else could she expect from people of Egyptian descent? No people showed themselves. Nephthys could only assume they awaited her as a last resort at the tablet itself.

She was right.

Ishizu, Odion, and Marik emerged from the shadows just as she stepped foot within the forbidden room. They didn't seem the least bit afraid of her, which was slightly surprising to the Black Mage. If they had known she was coming, wouldn't they know what she was capable of? They should have stayed hidden in the shadows, but they came into the light of the torches. Why were they unafraid?

"You shall come no further, priestess of darkness," Ishizu stated, holding her hands out defiantly towards the evil woman.

Nephthys smirked. "How did you know I was coming, Isis? You could not have seen it as the future, for I have your beloved Millennium Necklace. Do you have some other power I know not of? Is it something you and Kalim have gained with your rebirth?"

"No, it isn't. Shadi warned us of your coming after you killed him and stole the Millennium Key. He told us all about you. We know who you are and what you're capable of. And your quest to bring death upon the world ends here," Marik told her.

"You cannot stop me," Nephthys remarked.

"That's what you think," Ishizu murmured as she and her siblings closed their eyes.

Each of them thrust their hands in front of them, palms facing Nephthys. Then their eyes flashed open and the Black Mage understood why they believed they stood a chance. Like Carrie and Karley, they had delved deep into themselves to unlock the powers their incarnations had left locked within them. Ishizu's pure blue eyes, Marik's completely lavender eyes, and Odion's absolute black eyes made that very clear. A barrier went up around the room, formed by their magic combined. Even someone as powerful as Nephthys would have trouble breaking through that.

But she sensed it was only up against her, which meant they did not see Yugi with the Items standing behind her. Magic was a difficult thing. Once set against something, it was hard to change it against something else as well. She could send her last minion beyond the barrier to place the Millennium Items in their spots. Marik, Odion, and Ishizu would be unable to stop him from coming into the forbidden room. However, they could always drop the spell to stop him, but then Nephthys would be able to cross the threshold. They wouldn't all drop the spell; one would be left keeping it there.

And one was a number Nephthys could handle.

She turned her back to the Ishtars and faced Yugi. Nephthys gave him the directions through her mind so they would not be overheard, and he was of course forced to obey. He ran through her dark cloak straight into the barrier, making it through to the room where the Ishtars and the tablet were. The siblings were taken aback by his sudden appearance—they couldn't see his face due to his own dark cloak and hood, but their magic left his identity bare.

"Yugi? What in the world are you doing here?" Marik demanded, glancing over his shoulder at the shorter boy. "And what the hell happened to you? You look like that witch you just passed. And what's in the bag? Hey, what are you doing?"

"He's wearing Nephthys's amulet. She has taken control of his mind," Odion revealed.

Ishizu swore. "Odion, stop him! Marik and I will keep her from getting in here! Just make sure he doesn't get all the Items in the tablet! I don't need to remind you what will happen if he does, do I?"

Odion removed his magic from the barrier, weakening it just slightly. His dark eyes turned to Yugi, who was already starting to pull the Items from the duffel bag. Nephthys's orchid eyes glowed for a moment as she ordered Yugi to kill Odion to ensure they would succeed. Yugi had his hands on the Millennium Rod, a dangerous weapon mystically and physically, when he received that command. He turned around and sliced Odion's right arm wide open, splattering blood all over the place.

"Odion!" Marik exclaimed.

"Pay them no attention," Ishizu admonished, returning her brother's focus to their barrier. "Odion can handle himself. She's just trying to get us to have only one person on the barrier because she believes she can take that person down. Her magic is greater than ours, my brother. If she manages to break through our only protection, we shall not stand a chance against her. We must bide our time until they arrive."

Marik sighed. "You're right. I just don't like the idea of Odion getting hurt by a possessed Yugi. He's supposed to be one of the good guys. I mean, it was due to him and his friends that I was freed from my darkness, remember?"

"Yes, but even the good cannot be spared from the influence of mind control. You of all people should understand that," Ishizu reminded him.

Odion fought back, using a knife to guard against Yugi's attacks with the sharp edges of the Rod. The boy had skills not natural to himself; it seemed Nephthys's control had made him a mindless killer. The Egyptian had to admit he was holding back as he did not want to harm the innocent being controlled by the guilty, especially since he was the best friend of Carrie West, the girl that had freed Marik from the darkness. But Yugi wasn't holding back at all. The little rascal managed to get several blows on the other man. He even knocked the knife out of his hand in time and struck him under the chin with a blunt part of the Rod. Odion collapsed to the ground in front of Yugi, who was ready to cut his head off.

"No!" Marik shouted, pulling away from the barrier and running to save his brother.

"Marik, come back!" Ishizu called as the barrier weakened.

Nephthys smirked and was about to step into the forbidden room to finish this all…

But then a blinding light made her stop in her tracks.

Carrie, Karley, Thief Bakura, and Nefer-Tina stood before her, none looking too happy to see the Black Mage. Ehren and Turtle Tiger stopped Yugi from beheading Odion, the latter taking the hit to his shell and the former pulling the Millennium Rod out of his hands. Yugi of course tried to get it back, but Turtle Tiger pinned him to the ground. Ishizu, Marik, and Odion took a step back when they saw the new arrivals. The siblings may have had a lot of power, but theirs was definitely small in comparison to Carrie and Karley's.

Nephthys swore. "Damn that Mirage! She was supposed to kill you while she was taking the Millennium Items! That pathetic wench couldn't even complete a task that simple! What a waste! I should have killed her as soon as I was brought back and received the information I required!"

The blonde girl with shining gold eyes flicked her wrist and suddenly Nephthys was thrown into a wall. "Do not disrespect the dead, you poser. Mirage chose not to come after us, though she probably could have gotten past Obelisk and Ra had she wanted to. But she did not want us dead. She knew her time was short, that all of our time was short. So she let us go so that we could confront you here and now…In order to avenge all the deaths you've caused, including her own."

"It's time you paid for killing all those innocent people in that hotel," Karley growled.

"You shall die!" Thief bellowed, shadows surrounding him as his magic was finally released. Normally he would take his opponent to the Shadow Realm in order to ensure their destruction, but the circumstances were different here. He had sided with the light; going to the Shadow Realm might affect their power. His power would have to work as it was now.

"You're gonna wish you'd killed me," Nefer-Tina remarked as her previously dismissed Duel Monsters returned to the world. She snapped her whip threateningly once to emphasize her point.

"I'm not afraid of you," Nephthys hissed.

"If you weren't afraid, you wouldn't have wanted us dead," Carrie stated. She glanced over her shoulder at the Ishtars. "You guys might want to leave. Things are going to get a bit messy. Thank you for stalling this loser, but we've got her now. Take Yugi with you …After that damn amulet is destroyed, of course."

Turtle Tiger bit Yugi's amulet off at this and crushed it in his mouth, freeing the short man from Nephthys's mind control at last. He was a bit groggy and spewing out apologies quickly, but otherwise he was the same Yugi he had been not even two days ago. Turtle Tiger let him go and the Ishtars went to take him away with them. Then Nephthys starting laughing hysterically. This drew attention back to her. She seemed to like the attention being all on her.

"Fools! Why do you think I kept that little human around? I have linked his life force to mine! If I die, he dies!" Nephthys shouted. "I am immortal now! You cannot kill me unless you wish death to your little friend! Could you live with that on your conscience? Could you throw away your friend's life just to end mine? And if you can, what shall prevent my soul from doing just as it has for these past five thousand years? My power shall continue to grow! The next time I am brought back to life I shall not need the Items to bring death to this place! What do you think of that?"

_...No...I can't kill Yugi...,_ Carrie thought, lowering her hand.

"Carrie! What are you doing? You can't let up your spell on her!" Nefer-Tina remarked.

Karley's hand shot up to pin Nephthys to the wall with her own magic. "Ease up on her, Neffie! It's not like killing this witch is an easy decision now! I mean, we want her dead, but not at Yugi's expense! He's our friend! He's Carrie's best friend! Do the math and you'll see why she's letting up!"

_At least one person here understands me._

"Why don't you stop standing there ordering these girls around and start helping out yourself?" Thief snapped at the mummy female as he sent his shadows against Nephthys to ensure she would not move.

"Hey! Don't you talk to me like that!" Nefer-Tina growled. Her Monsters launched forward, for with her mind Nephthys had summoned several Hand of Nephthys and Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys Monsters to attack her enemies. She jumped in with her whip to do some damage as well.

_Okay, maybe there's more than one person here that understands me. But...I can't kill Nephthys...if it means my best friend must die. It's...just not right...Why do the baddies always have to pull stunts like these? _Carrie felt tears running down her face, but they didn't have the healing effect on her that they had had on Kaiba. All she wanted to do right then was fall to her knees and weep, close her eyes to the world and hope that when she opened them this whole thing would turn out to be just a nightmare. But that would be asking too much.

She couldn't kill her best friend. She didn't have the magic in her to sever the connection Nephthys had created between their life forces. She doubted that even she and Karley could do that together. There was only two options: let Nephthys live or let Yugi die. One would bring death to the world and the other would bring death to Yugi. Carrie couldn't live with herself if either came to pass.

_What am I supposed to do?_

"Carrie."

She turned around to find that Yugi was standing right behind her. His hair looked strange—Nephthys had put it up in dreads for some reason—but otherwise he looked to be the same person she had befriended over three years ago. His large violet eyes were too serious for him—she knew why they were that way. His situation had gone from bad to worse in the blink of an eye. Yugi had gone from being just a mind slave to being bound to Nephthys for life—literally. What was going through his mind? She could find out if she really wanted to, but she was too afraid.

"Don't hold back for me. Go at her and finish her off," he ordered.

Carrie was awestruck. "…What? But…But Yugi, if she dies…"

He held up a finger to her lips to shush her. "I know what it'll mean. I was here when she screamed it. But if you don't take care of her, then she'll continue to threaten the world. Or worse, she'll take the Items and put them in the tablet and bring death to everyone on this planet. Is saving one life really worth all of that? I don't think so."

"…You're my best friend, Yugi…Do you know how much your life means to me? I can't take it away from you…I just can't…"

"You have to," Yugi stated.

Carrie tried to turn away from him, but he grabbed her face and roughly turned it back to him. He wiped her golden tears from her face with the gentleness she was used to; she could sense that he was holding his own tears back for her sake. He was stronger than people gave him credit for being. He pecked her on each cheek and then her lips before embracing her tightly for what felt like the last time. She held onto him just as tightly as if that would stop him from leaving her.

"You know what you have to do," he whispered in her ear.

She pulled away and looked at the Ishtars. "Take care of him…"

Then she spun around furiously and took aim.

Her magic intertwined with Thief's and Karley's, becoming the most powerful blast of magic ever created by humans on Earth. Nephthys's Monsters dissipated upon contact with the attack—not even the mighty Sacred Phoenix could withstand even one second of contact from it. Nephthys's eyes widened in fear for the first time ever just seconds before it hit her full force. She screamed in agony with the blow, her body incinerating much quicker than it had when she had been burned alive five thousands years ago. All that remained when the smoke cleared was her choker, the very thing that had started this whole mess, the black cat that had been her body, and the wisps of her soul.

The cat, free of an evil soul within, ran off to continue its normal life.

The wisps tried to fly away, but Thief was prepared for that.

"You're not going anywhere!" he exclaimed before Mind Crushing her soul, sending Nephthys screaming to the Shadow Realm where she would be trapped for all eternity.

Carrie had put all she had into that attack; her magic was gone. She collapsed to the ground as her body returned to normal—or rather, she would have hit the ground had Thief not been quick enough to catch her. She felt fatigued, but she wanted to fight it. At least, she wanted to fight it long enough to see the truth. He helped her to stand and supported her as she walked over to where the Ishtars were. Ishizu and Odion were kneeling on the ground beside Marik, who was holding Yugi's head on his lap while tears fell from his eyes. Yugi's eyes were closed to the world, and he wasn't moving anymore.

Yugi and Mirage were the casualties of this war.

Carrie blacked out crying then.

Karley followed her into the darkness of grief and fatigue.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

They returned to Domino City by sunrise, though the way home was less than joyous. Carrie and Karley were unconscious for a large portion of it, the use of such powerful magic taking such a terrible toll on their bodies. Nefer-Tina and Thief held them in place so they wouldn't fall off of Uria. Ishizu, Odion, and Marik came too, bringing with them the body of their fallen friend. No one spoke; no one dared to speak lest their emotions reflect in their voice.

When Carrie finally managed to open her eyes, they were almost to Kaiba's mansion. She looked at Yugi with tear-filled eyes, remembering that it was her fault that he was dead. He still looked kinda like a Black Mage and she didn't want anyone else to see him like that, so she cast one last spell to return him to the way he had been before Nephthys had changed him. Thief wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders—she didn't shrug it away even though it did not have the desired effect. It was better to seek companionship than to grieve alone. Thief held onto her just a tightly as she held onto him. She remembered than she wasn't the only one to lose someone to that witch. He had lost his lover, and now a part of him was hurting that he hardly used—his heart.

Karley offered to be the bringer of bad news, but Carrie wouldn't let her. That girl had just recovered her memories. She didn't need to add this to her list of things to forget with her being the catalyst. So when Uria touched down and the others made their way out of the mansion, Carrie stood before them. With a heavy heart, she relayed the events of what had happened at the place where the world almost ended.

Everyone ended up with tears in their eyes, but no one cried as much as Solomon Muto. He had lost his daughter and son-in-law long ago. Yugi had been all he had had. Now his only grandson was gone, too. What did he have left now? The old man collapsed to his knees, his tears falling to the ground like a steady rain. Carrie knelt beside him and apologized for taking the life of his only family. He said he didn't blame her, that it was all Nephthys's fault, and hugged her. But his words did not take away the guilt she felt inside, nor did it fill the emptiness she seemed to have in her heart now.

The joy of victory was lost on this day, overshadowed by the death of the innocent.

Victory never came without a price.

* * *

Carrie set a bouquet of tiger lilies on Yugi's grave, heedless of the rain that came falling down on her uncovered head. She was dressed in her school uniform, having just come from that place to see her best friend. The rain was cold on her skin but she was numb to it. Yami stood beside her and they both stared sadly at the tombstone that marked where the boy now lay for the rest of time. She held his ghostly hand for support, but what good was that? Well, it was better than being here alone.

It had been only a week since that day when everything changed. The world hadn't even realized how close it had come to coming to an end. Two people—or three, if one counted Shadi—were killed, a hotel blew up. Nothing unusual, even for a place with a very low crime rate. That hotel fire was blamed on faulty wiring and the families of the dead had to accept that lie. The truth would never be known. The world would go on as if nothing had happened, because for most people nothing had happened. Only a choice few were affected by the woman known as Nephthys.

And those choice few would never forget what she had done.

"I shouldn't have done it," Carrie said suddenly. "I shouldn't have killed him. If we had a little more time, we probably could have found a way to sever their life connection so that he wouldn't have died. We shouldn't have acted so hastily. If we had-"

"Carrie, you know there was no other way," Yami interjected.

"There had to be," Carrie murmured.

"Her magic was too strong. That spell was binding. There was no breaking it, even with the combined strength of you, Bakura, and Karley. That would have been asking too much," Yami reminded her. "If you keep thinking about it, you'll just make yourself feel worse and you'll never be able to move on. Just let it go, Carrie. It's in the past. There's nothing you could have done."

Carrie closed her eyes, allowing her tears to flow with the rain. "…I know…"

She crouched down next to the ground and rested her hand on Yugi Muto's tombstone. "Yugi, you were the best friend a girl could have. You knew all my secrets…You were so kind and innocent. You were like the brother I never had. I'm sure gonna miss you…I'm not even sure I'll ever get over this. I just hope…that I get to see you again someday." Her voice caught in her throat for a moment as her sadness took over. "…I'm sorry it had to end the way it did…Like you told me, there…there was no other way. Nephthys shall rot in the Shadow Realm forever for this…Thief made sure of that. He…He's not that bad, actually, once you get past him wanting to end the world and all…He has a softer, caring side that's not Ryo. I think he'll make it up to where you are…I hope Mirage is there, too, despite all she did…"

Her green eyes glanced over at the headstones next to Yugi's. His mother's, father's, and grandmother's graves were occupied. There was only one empty place, the spot where Grandpa Muto was going to be buried someday. Her heart dropped into her stomach when she thought about that poor man. He had been so torn up by the loss of Yugi that he had closed the shop. She and the gang had to drop by in rotations to make sure he was eating, sleeping, and not trying to kill himself. It was not a happy time for him—she wasn't sure if he would ever recover.

_...At least you've been reunited with most of your family...And you'll be very happy,_ Carrie thought with a grim smile.

Something blocked the rain from hitting her, though it was a little late for that since she was soaked through. She glanced over her shoulder to see Karley standing there with Kaiba and Alyssa behind her, each with their own umbrella. Karley held her hand out for Carrie to take, and the green-eyed blonde reluctantly did so. She stood under the umbrella with her friend and looked at the other two people…Or rather, stared intently at their shoes.

"…What are you doing here?" she asked.

"You're late," Kaiba grumbled.

Carrie cocked an eyebrow. "Late? For what?"

"Your job, dummy. Or did you forget that you worked for one of the top Duel Monster companies in the world?" Alyssa teased.

She blinked, confused. "But…But I said I'd quit if you let us stay with you, Kaiba. Remember? I don't have a job anymore. I gave it up that day when we were hiding from that witch."

"I changed my mind," Kaiba remarked, turning on his heel. "Now come along before I decide to change my mind again."

_Well, didn't you change, _Carrie thought sarcastically as she and the others followed Kaiba to his company.

"He's better than you think," Karley whispered as if she had read her friend's mind.

"How so?" Carrie wanted to know.

"Well, for one, he gave you your job back. He never would have done that before. Two, he came to get you _in the rain_. He hardly ever goes out when it's raining. I thought the rain would make him melt. Obviously I was wrong. Three, he's letting me live with him _without having to pay __**anything**__ in return._ Four, he's being really nice for a guy like him. He even gave me a raise," Karley told him.

Carrie raised an eyebrow. "…Are we sure this is the same guy?"

"Yeah, it's Seto Kaiba all right. Just having his past forced on him has softened him up a bit," Karley assured her. "By the way, that spirit beside you is kinda cute. I think I've seen him somewhere before…"

"In class when you first came to school before all that crap went down," Carrie admitted.

"He's the Nameless Pharaoh, isn't he?" Karley assumed. Carrie nodded. The other blonde grinned. "He looks just as sexy as he was back when Hathor was me and me was Hathor. Though he is a bit on the pale side for someone that's supposed to be Egyptian. Ah well. It can't be helped, I suppose. You'd better watch out. I think I want him for my own now."

The green-eyed girl glared daggers. "Back off! He's mine!"

Karley smirked. "For now."

"Karley Usagi, don't you dare even think about stealing my boyfriend!" Carrie exclaimed, lunging at Karley. The other girl dodged and ran away laughing, leaving Carrie to chase her in the rain to the Kaiba Corp. building. Kaiba rolled his eyes at their childish behavior…until Alyssa stole his KC belt buckle and ran off with Karley. He had to pursue her at a quick pace as a result.

* * *

Nefer-Tina walked out of the ladies' room in the museum, brushing her long white hair carefully as she made her way towards the backroom. It felt good to finally be in something other than her armor—she would prefer to never wear that stuff again, especially since her mask had bit the dust. Now she was in a deep red halter top and a pair of cut-off denim shorts with a pair of stylish sandals on her feet. Her mummy wrappings had been removed—why wear them when they weren't of any use anymore?—so that she could better fit in with the people of today. The guys were not so quick to lose their bandages. They still felt them to be necessary.

Speaking of the guys, they were throwing her a party on this day. Since they had thought her dead and that turned out to be false, they wanted to celebrate her life. It was only going to be the four of them; it would have been wrong to do it with the others because of the deaths of Yugi and Mirage. She was okay with that. She understood it and would not have had it any other way. Carrie, Karley, and the others needed time to grieve their lost ones. It was normal.

She was about to open the door to the backroom when someone touched her shoulder. Her first response was to grab that hand throw that person against the floor. But she didn't do it this time. Nefer-Tina glanced at the hand and sighed. She knew who that hand belonged to far too well.

"Ja-Kal, what is it?" she asked without turning around.

The hand was swiftly withdrawn. "It's nothing. I was…just curious as to what was taking you so long."

"I was changing into something not five thousand years old," Nefer-Tina told him, tossing her brush into her open sarcophagus with barely a glance in that direction. "Unlike some people, I wanna fit in. I think I pull it off rather well despite my decayed skin and white hair. What did you think?"

Ja-Kal took a moment to respond. "I…think you look beautiful."

Nefer-Tina raised an eyebrow. "That was…a bit generous of you to say."

"Well, it's the truth. You've always…looked beautiful."

"What brought this on? Was it the rumors of my death? Cuz those were greatly exaggerated. I had everything under control. I wouldn't go against a powerful sorceress without some plan for surviving it. There was no chance I was gonna die…Well, maybe there was a small seventy-five percent chance, but I pulled through. I'm here. There's no need to give me special attention. Look, Ja-Kal. I'm fine. I'm one of the lucky ones."

The Guardians' leader sighed. "I know. And I'm very happy that you're here. More so than you probably know. But it's time you did."

"…What's that supposed to mean?"

Ja-Kal moved so that he was now standing in front of Nefer-Tina. As expected, he was dressed in the same things he was buried in. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes at his outfit; fashion had never been his strong point, anyway. She forced her eyes to look right into his and she was surprised by the mixed emotions she saw there. On her way to staring in his eyes, she caught sight of the locket she had given to him with portraits of his family and friends. Since when had he worn that thing so openly?

"Nefer-Tina, you have always been a valued comrade. You've proven yourself to be as skilled as any man, maybe even more so. Your skills have gotten us to where we are today. We wouldn't be standing here now if it wasn't for you. But there's more to you than your duty. Your personality is second to none…It's contagious when you smile. No one can help but like you the moment they meet you. And I think…I think I like you more so than other people do. I think you've opened a door in my heart that's been closed since I was separated from my wife. Do you understand what I'm telling you, Nefer-Tina?" Ja-Kal asked.

"…Yeah…You're saying too many words when you could just say four," Nefer-Tina teased with a bright smile as she jabbed him playfully in the chest with her finger. "C'mon, Jakkie. Just say it simply. Say those four words and put it out there in the open."

"All right." Ja-Kal took a deep, unnecessary breath. "Nefer-Tina, I…love you."

Nefer-Tina laughed. "I knew it. I knew it, I knew it, I knew it! I knew you would eventually catch on! You're a lot smarter than you look, you know that? I thought you'd be too dumb to figure out our feelings! Boy, did you prove me wrong!"

Ja-Kal raised an eyebrow. "I look dumb?"

"Yes, but you're a cute dummy," Nefer-Tina assured him. She wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his wrapping-covered chest. "I love you, Jakkie."

He tilted her chin up so she was looking at his face again. "And I love you, Neffie."

And they kissed.

"HEY!" Armon shouted from the backroom, ruining the moment. "You two had better not be out there partying without us! Don't make me come out there! I'm hungry and cranky…And you won't like me when I'm hungry and cranky!"

"For Ra's sake, what on Earth is taking you so long?" Rath demanded.

Nefer-Tina laughed again. "I guess we'd better get in there before they come out here. I don't want to get on their bad sides."

"Yeah. Let's go celebrate the miracle that is you," Ja-Kal said.

"Ra, you are so corny!"

* * *

Carrie came to the place where Mirage had been buried after dark, dressed in business clothes that Kaiba had waiting for her at her desk at work. She had another bouquet of tiger lilies for her darker half, though she didn't expect to be the only one there. There was one person that would always be standing silent vigil over Mirage's grave every night. He was the reason she came at night. He needed companionship, too.

It was still raining, and this time she brought an umbrella to keep herself dry. Her shoes were not fancy; they were just sneakers. They could get muddy. After all, Mirage had not been buried in a graveyard like her best friend and his family. Thief had laid her to rest in the darkest part of the nearest forest, claiming she would feel at home there. He had led Carrie there when she had told him she wanted to pay respects. In return, she gave the Millennium Ring back to him. Now just like she visited Yugi's grave on a daily basis, she visited Mirage's on a nightly basis.

She slipped on mud and nearly fell, but a pair of hands appeared out of nowhere to catch her. She didn't have to look at the face to know who it was. It could only be one person. No one else would venture out this deep into the woods without a death wish.

"Thanks, Thief," Carrie murmured, steadying herself.

"Wouldn't want you to get dirty in those fancy clothes," Thief muttered. He appraised her gifts with emotionless eyes. "You're bringing flowers again? You know, the forest has plenty of those. You don't have to keep taking them to her grave. She never even really liked flowers unless a Duel Monster was using them as weapons, anyway."

"I'm aware. Remember, she was inside of me for six lives now. I think I've got her figured out," Carrie remarked. "These flowers aren't to be like a disrespectful action. I just don't know how else to pay my respects. She was a part of me for so long. Her being there…It's like a part of me died. She helped me when I was weak…And I wasn't able to help her in return. I'm sorry, Thief. I really am."

Thief looked away. "It's all right. You weren't there and we were your enemies. It wasn't like you could really do anything. I'm just glad she's finally at peace. She doesn't have to suffer with the pain of the world anymore. Her curse, and yours, has come to an end."

"But at what cost?" Carrie inquired, and Thief didn't have an answer.

Carrie knelt down and placed her flowers on Mirage's grave, marked by a simple stone that would go unnoticed by anyone else but would never be forgotten by either of the people that stood in the rainy woods in the middle of the night. Lightning flashed and lightning struck, making visible the tears flowing from both peoples' eyes.

And Carrie sang, as it was the way she coped with her emotions.

"_I settled down  
A twisted up frown  
Disguised as a smile, well  
You would've never known_

_I had it all_  
_But not what I wanted_  
_'Cause hope for me_  
_Was a place uncharted_  
_And overgrown_

_You'd make your way in_  
_I'd resist you just like this_  
_You can't tell me to feel!_  
_The truth never set me free_  
_So I did it myself_

_You can't be too careful anymore_  
_When all that is waiting for you_  
_Won't come any closer_  
_You've got to reach out a little more_  
_More_  
_More_  
_More, more_

_Open your eyes,_  
_Like I opened mine_  
_It's only the real world:_  
_A life you will never know_

_Shifting your weight_  
_To throw off the pain_  
_Well you can ignore it_  
_But only for so long_

_You look like I did_  
_You resist me just like this_  
_You can't tell me to heal!_  
_And it hurts remembering_  
_How it felt to shut down_

_You can't be too careful anymore_  
_When all that is waiting for you_  
_Won't come any closer_  
_You've got to reach out a little more_  
_More_  
_More_  
_More, more_

_The truth never set me free_  
_The truth never set me free_  
_The truth never set me free_  
_So I'll do it myself_

_You can't be too careful anymore_  
_When all that is waiting for you_  
_Won't come any closer_  
_You've got to reach out_

_Can't be too careful anymore_  
_When all that is waiting for you_  
_Won't come any closer_  
_You've got to reach out_  
_More_  
_More_  
_More_  
_More, more."_

(Paramore: Careful)

Carrie took a ragged breath, overcome by her emotions. Thief reached over and took her hand in his, squeezing it tightly to let her know she didn't have to reach far to have a friend. He was soaked through, just as she had been earlier at Yugi's final resting place. She moved her umbrella over both their heads so he wouldn't get wetter. He appreciated the kind gesture, even if he did not say so. She rested her cheek on his soggy shirt, finding comfort there that she never expected to find in him.

"Bakura, are you gonna be bad again?" she asked.

The white-haired man took a breath and rested his chin on top of her head. "…I honestly don't know anymore."

* * *

Thus ends the amazingly depressing story of _**Entangled Strands**_.


End file.
